UC-NRLF 


'   SB    ESfi 


OF  T"* 

UNIVERSITY? 

OF 

o^ 


SECRET   SOCIETIES: 


A  DISCUSSION  OF  THEIR  CHARACTER 
AND  CLAIMS, 


REV.  DAVID  MACDILL, 
JONATHAN  BLANCH  ARD,  D.D., 

AND 

EDWARD  BEECHER,  D.D. 


"  Have  no  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather 
reprove  them."— EPH.  v:  11. 


CINCINNATI: 
WESTERN  TRACT  AND  BOOK  SOCIETY, 

No.  28  WEST  FOURTH  STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by  the 
WESTERN  TRACT  AND  BOOK  SOCIETY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Southern  District  of  Ohio. 


STEREOTYPED  AT  THE 
FRANKLIN    TYPE    FOUNDRY, 
CINCINNATI,  O.    .       . 


CONTENTS. 


1 

A  TREATISE  BY  REV.  D.  MACDILL. 

CHAPTER  I.        THEIR  ANTIQUITY. 
CHAPTER  II.      THEIR  SECRECY. 
CHAPTER  III.    OATHS  AND  PROMISES. 
CHAPTER  IV.    PROFANENESS. 
CHAPTER  V.      THEIR  EXCLUSIVENESS. 
CHAPTER  VI.    FALSE  CLAIMS. 

II. 

SHALL   CHRISTIANS    JOIN    SECRET    SOCIETIES? 
BY  JONATHAN  BLANCHARD,  D.D. 

III. 

REPORT  TO  CONGREGATIONAL  ASSOCIATION   OF 
ILLINOIS.    BY  EDWARD  BEECHER,  D.  D. 


SECRET  SOCIETIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THEIR    ANTIQUITY. 

1.  SECRET  associations  are  of  very  ancient  origin. 
They  existed   among  the  ancient  Egyptians,   Hin 
doos,  Grecians,  Romans,  and  probably  among  nearly 
all  the  pagan  nations  of  antiquity.     This  fact,  how 
ever,  is  neither  proof  of  their  utility  nor  of  their 
harmlessness.    Slavery,  despotism,  cruelty,  drunken 
ness,  falsehood,  and  all  sorts  of  sins  and  crimes  have 
been  practiced  from  time  immemorial,  but  are  none 
the  less  to  be  reprobated  on  that  account. 

2.  The  facts  that  these  associations  had  no  exist 
ence  among  the  Israelites,  who,  alone  of  all  the  an 
cient  nations,  enjoyed  the  light  of  Divine  revelation, 
and  that  they  originated  and  flourished  among  the 
heathen,  who  were  vain  in  their  imaginations  ;  whose 
foolish  heart  was  darkened,    and  whom  God  gave 
up  to  uncleanness  through  the  lusts  of  their  own 
hearts   (Rom.  i:   21-24),  is   a   presumptive    proof 


,  SOCIETIES. 


^  [and  /tendency  are  evil.  We  do 
not  claim  that  all  the  institutions  among  God's  an 
cient  people  were  right  and  good;  nor  that  every 
institution  among  the  heathen  was  sinful  and  in 
jurious ;  still,  that  which  was  so  popular  "among 
those  whom  the  Bible  declares  to  have  been  filled 
with  all  unrighteousness  ;  that  which  was  so  pleasing 
to  men  whom  Grod  had  given  over  to  a  reprobate 
mind  and  to  vile  affections  (Rom.  i :  26-28) ;  that 
which  made  a  part  of  the  worship  which  the  ig 
norant  heathen  offered  up  to  their  unclean  gods, 
and  which  was  unknown  among  Grod's  chosen  peo 
ple,  is  certainly  a  thing  to  be  viewed  with  sus 
picion.  A  thing  of  so  bad  origin  and  so  bad  ac 
companiments  we  should  be  very  slow  to  approve. 
The  fact  that  many  good  men  see  no  evil  in  secret 
societies,  and  that  many  good  men  have  been  and 
are  members  of  them,  is  more  than  counterbalanced 
by  the  fact  that  many  good  men  very  decidedly  dis 
approve  of  them,  and  that,  from  time  immemorial, 
men  of  vile  affections  and  reprobate  minds,  men 
whose  inclinations  and  consciences  were  perverted 
by  heathenish  ignorance  and  error,  and  by  a  cor 
rupt  and  abominable  religion,  have  been  very  fond 
of  them. 

3.  Doubtless  the  authors  and  conductors  of  the 
ancient  mysteries  made  high  pretensions,  just  as  do 


THEIR   ANTIQUITY. 


the  modern  advocates  of  secret  societies.  Perhaps 
the  original  design  of  the  ancient  mysteries  was  to 
civilize  mankind  and  promote  religion ;  that  is,  pa 
gan  superstition.  But  whatever  may  have  been  the 
design  of  the  authors  of  them,  it  is  certain  that 
they  became  schools  of  superstition  and  vice. 
Their  pernicious  character  and  influence  were  so 
manifest  that  the  ancient  Christian  writers  almost 
universally  exclaimed  against  them.  (Leland's  Chr. 
Rev.,  p.  223.)  Bishop  Warburton,  who,  in  his  "Di 
vine  Legation,"  maintains  that  the  ancient  mysteries 
were  originally  pure,  declares  that  they  "  became 
abominably  abused,  and  that  in  Cicero's  time  the 
terms  mysteries  and  abominations  were  almost  sy 
nonymous."  The  cause  of  their  corruption,  this 
eminent  writer  declares  to  be  the  secrecy  with  which 
they  were  performed.  He  says :  "  We  can  assign 
no  surer  cause  of  the  horrid  abuses  and  corruptions 
of  the  mysteries  than  the  season  in  which  they  were 
represented,  and  the  profound  silence  in  which 
they  were  buried.  Night  gave  opportunity  to 
wicked  men  to  attempt  evil  actions,  and  the  secrecy 
encouragement  to  repeat  them."  (Leland's  Chr. 
Rev.,  p.  194.)  It  seems  to  have  been  of  these  an 
cient  secret  associations  that  the  inspired  Apostle 
said,  "It  is  a  shame  even  to  speak  of  those  things 
which  are  done  in  secret,"  (Eph.  v:  12.) 


SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


4.  In  view  of  these  facts,  the  antiquity  of  secret 
societies  is  no  argument  in  their  favor  ;  yet  it  is 
no  uncommon  thing  to  find  their  members  tracing 
their  origin  back  to  the  heathenish  mysteries  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  Hindoos,  or  Grecians.  (See 
Webb's  Freemason's  Monitor,  p.  39.)  Since  the 
ancient  mysteries  were  so  impure  and  abominable, 
those  who  boast  of  their  affinity  with  them  must 
be  classed  with  them  of  whom  the  Apostle  says, 
"Their  glory  is  in  their  shame"  (Phil,  iii :  19.) 


THEIR   SECRECY. 

CHAPTER  II. 

THEIR    SECR  ECY. 

1.  ONE  of  the  objectionable  features  of  all  the 
associations  of  which  we  are  writing  is  their  secrecy. 
We  do  not  say  that  secrecy  is  what  is  called  an  evil 
or  sin  in  itself.  Secrecy  may  sometimes  be  right 
and  even  necessary.  There  are  family  secrets 
and  secrets  of  State.  Sometimes  legislatures  and 
church  courts  hold  secret  sessions.  It  is  admitted 
that  secrecy  in  such  cases  may  be  right;  but  this 
does  not  prove  that  secrecy  is  always  right.  The 
cases  above-mentioned  are  exceptional  in  their 
character.  For  instance,  a  family  may  very  prop 
erly  keep  some  things  secret;  but  were  a  family 
to  act  on  the  principle  of  secrecy,  they  would 
justly  be  condemned,  and  would  arouse  suspicions 
in  the  minds  of  all  who  know  them.  Were  a 
family  to  endeavor  to  conceal  every  thing  that 
is  said  and  done  by  the  fireside ;  were  they  to  in 
vent  signs,  and  grips,  and  passwords  for  the  pur 
pose  of  concealment ;  were  they  to  admit  no  one 
under  their  roof  without  exacting  a  solemn  oath 


10  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


or  promise  that  nothing  seen  or  heard  shall  be 
made  known,  every  one  would  say  there  is  some 
thing  wrong.  So,  too,  if  a  church  court  would 
always  sit  in  secret ;  were  none  but  members  at  any 
time  admitted;  were  all  the  members  bound  by  sol 
emn  promises  or  oaths  to  keep  the  proceedings  se 
cret,  and  were  they  to  employ  signs,  grips,  and 
passwords,  and  to  hold  up  horrid  threats,  in  order 
to  secure  concealment,  such  a  church  court  would 
lose  the  confidence  of  all  men  whose  esteem  is  of 
any  value.  Such  studious  and  habitual  concealment 
would  damage  the  reputation  of  any  family  or 
church  court  in  the  estimation  of  all  sensible  peo 
ple.  The  same  result  would  follow  in  case  a  Leg 
islature  would  endeavor,  as  a  general  thing,  to  con 
ceal  its  proceedings.  As  to  State  secrets,  they 
generally  pertain  to  what  is  called  diplomacy;  and 
even  in  straightforward,  manly  diplomacy  there  is 
generally  no  effort  at  concealment.  In  our  own 
country,  Congress  very  often  asks  the  President  for 
information  in  regard  to  the  negotiations  and  cor 
respondence  of  the  Executive  Department  with  for 
eign  governments,  and  almost  always  the  whole 
correspondence  asked  for  is  laid  before  Congress 
and  published  to  the  country.  It  is  very  seldom 
that  the  President  answers  the  call  with  a  declara-  ' 
tion  that  the  public  welfare  requires  the  corre- 


THEIR    SECRECY.  11 


Bpondence  to  be  kept  secret.  Besides  this,  the 
concealment  is  only  temporary.  It  is  never  sup 
posed  that  the  secrecy  must  be  perpetual.  It  is 
true  that  many  diplomatists — perhaps  nearly  all  the 
diplomatists  of  Europe — do  endeavor  to  cover  up 
their  doings  from  the  light  of  day.  It  is  also  true 
that  the  secrecy  and  deceit  of  diplomatists  have 
made  diplomacy  a  corrupt  thing.  Diplomacy  is  re 
garded  by  many  as  but  another  name  for  duplicity. 
Talleyrand,  the  prince  of  diplomatists,  said  "  the 
design  of  language  is  to  conceal  one's  thoughts." 
This  terse  sentence  gives  a  correct  idea  of  the 
practice  of  secret  negotiators.  With  regard,  then, 
to  State  secrets,  we  remark  that  real  statesmen  do 
not  endeavor  to  cover  up  their  doings  in  the  dark, 
and  that  the  practices  of  diplomatists,  and  the  rep 
utation  they  have  for  duplicity,  are  not  such  as 
should  encourage  individuals  or  associations  to  en 
deavor  to  conceal  their  proceedings.  We  see  noth 
ing  in  the  fact  that  there  may  be  secrets  of  State 
to  justify  studied  and  habitual  secrecy  either  in  in 
dividuals  or  associations. 

2.  The  impropriety  of  habitual  concealment  may 
be  further  illustrated.  An  individual  who  endeavors 
to  conceal  the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged,  or 
the  place  and  mode  of  carrying  it  on,  exposes  him 
self  to  the  suspicion  of  his  fellow-men.  People 


12  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


lose  confidence  in  him.  They  feel  that  he  is  not  a 
Bafe  man.  They  at  once  suspect  that  there  is 
something  wrong.  They  do  not  ask  or  expect  him 
to  make  all  his  business  affairs  public.  They  are 
willing  that  he  should  say  nothing  about  many  of 
his  business  operations.  But  habitual  secrecy,  con 
stant  concealment,  unwillingness  to  tell  either  friend 
or  foe  what  business  he  follows,  or  to  speak  of  his 
business  operations,  will  cause  any  man  to  be  re 
garded  as  destitute  of  common  honesty.  This  fact 
shows  that,  in  the  common  judgment  of  men,  con 
stant  concealment  is  suspicious  and  wrong.  Wher 
ever  it  is  practiced,  men  expect  the  development 
of  some  unworthy  purpose. 

We  regard  secrecy  just  like  homicide  and  other 
actions  that  in  general  are  very  criminal.  To  take 
human  life,  as  a  general  thing,  is  a  very  great 
crime  ;  but  it  is  right  to  kill  a  man  in  self-defense, 
and  to  take  the  life  of  a  murderer  as  a  punishment 
for  his  crime.  The  habitual  concealment  of  one's 
actions  is  wrong,  but  it  may  be  right  at  particular 
times  and  for  special  reasons.  It  is  not  a  dread 
fully  wicked  thing,  like  the  causeless  taking  of 
human  life,  and  may  be  justifiable  much  oftener 
and  for  less  weighty  reasons.  Still  habitual  secrecy, 
or  secrecy,  except  at  particular  times  and  for  special 
reasons,  is,  according  to  the  common  judgment  of 


THEIR   SECRECY.  13 


men,  suspicious  and  unjustifiable.  Now,  with  secret 
societies  secrecy  is  the  general  rule.  They  practice 
constant  concealment.  At  all  times  and  on  all  oc 
casions  must  the  members  keep  their  proceedings 
secret.  If  an  individual  would  thus  studiously  en 
deavor  to  conceal  his  actions ;  were  he  to  throw  the 
veil  of  secrecy  over,  his  business  operations,  refus 
ing  to  speak  to  any  of  his  fellow-men  concerning 
them,  he  would  justly  expose  himself  to  suspicion. 
His  fellow-men  would  lose  all  confidence  in  his  in 
tegrity.  If  habitual  secrecy  on  the  part  of  an  in 
dividual,  in  regard  to  business  matters,  is  confess 
edly  suspicious  and  wrong,  it  must  be  so,  also,  on 
the  part  of"  associations  of  men.  There  is  less  ex 
cuse,  indeed,  for  concealment  on  the  part  of  a  num 
ber  of  men  banded  together  than  on  the  part  of  an 
individual.  An  individual  working  in  the  dark  may 
do  much  mischief,  but  an  association  thus  working 
can  do  much  more.  All  those  considerations  which 
forbid  individuals  to  .shroud  their  actions  in  secrecy 
and  darkness,  and  require  them  to  be  open,  frank, 
and  straightforward  in  their  course,  apply  with 
equal  or  greater  force  to  associations. 

3.  In  the  case  of  secret  societies,  the  reasons  for 
concealment  set  the  impropriety  of  it  in  a  still 
stronger  light.  So  far  from  there  being  any  neces 
sity  or  special  reason  to  justify  habitual  secrecy  in 


14  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


their  case,  we  believe  the  very  design  of  their  secrecy 
to  be  improper  and  sinful.  We  present  the  follow 
ing  quotation  from  a  book  of  high  authority  among 
those  for  whose  benefit  it  was  specially  intended : 

"  If  the  secrets  of  Masonry  are  replete  with  such 
advantages  to  mankind,  it  may  be  asked,  Why  are 
they  not  divulged  for  the  general  good  of  society  ? 
To  which  it  may  be  answered,  were  the  privileges 
of  Masonry  to  be  indiscriminately  bestowed,  the 
design  of  the  institution  would  be  subverted,  and, 
being  familiar,  like  many  other  important  matters, 
would  soon  lose  their  value  and  sink  into  disre 
gard." —  Webb's  Freemason's  Monitor,  p.  21. 

The  same  author  intimates  that  the  secrecy  of 
Masonry  is  designed  to  take  advantage  of  "  a  weak 
ness  of  human  nature."  He  admits  that  Masonry 
would  soon  sink  into  disregard  if  its  affairs  were 
generally  known.  Although  this  remark  is  made 
with  special  reference  to  the  giddy  and  unthink 
ing,  yet  it  is  certainly  not  the  contempt  of  such 
persons  which  Masons  fear.  They  would  not  care 
for  the  contempt  of  the  giddy  and  unthinking,  if 
they  could  retain  the  esteem  of  the  thoughtful  and 
wise.  The  real  reason*  then,  for  concealing  the 
doings  of  Masons  in  their  lodges,  is  to  recommend 
things  which,  if  generally  known,  would  be  regarded 
with  contempt.  The  design  of  concealment  in  the 


THEIR    SECRECY.  15 


case  of  other  secret  associations,  we  understand  to 
be  the  same.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  an 
address  delivered  at  the  national  celebration  of  the 
fortieth  anniversary  of  Odd-fellowship,  in  New 
York,  April  26,  1859,  and  published  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States  : 

"  But  even  if  we  do  resort  to  the  aid  of  the  mys 
terious,  to  render  our  meetings  attractive,  or  as  a 
stimulant  to  applications  for  membership,  surely 
this  results  in  no  injury  to  society  or  individ 
uals." — Proceedings  of  Grand  Lodge  of  United  States , 
1859,  Ap.,'p.  10, 

Here,  again,  it  is  pretty  plainly  hinted  that  the 
design  of  secrecy  in  the  case  of  Odd-fellowship,  is 
to  invest  it  with  unreal  attractions,  or.  at  least,  with 
attractions  which  it  would  not  possess,  were  the  veil 
of  concealment  withdrawn.  Here,  again,  as  in  Ma 
sonry,  it  is  virtually  admitted  that  secrecy  is  designed 
to  take  advantage  of  "  a  weakness  in  human  nature," 
and  to  recommend  things  which,  if  not  invested  with 
the  attractions  which  secrecy  throws  around  them, 
would  sink  into  contempt. 

Doubtless  the  design  of  concealment  in  the  case 
of  other  secret  asssociations  is  the  same.  We  are 
not  aware  that  Good-fellows,  Good  Templars,  Sons 
of  Temperance,  and  other  similar  associations,  have 
any  better  reason  for  working,  like  moles,  in  the 


16  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


dark  than  Masons  and  Odd-fellows.  There  is, 
then,  as  it  respects  secret  societies,  no  necessity  for 
concealment — nothing  to  justify  it.  The  real  motive 
for  it  is  itself  improper  and  sinful. 

4.  That  the  concealment  of  actions  and  princi 
ples,  either  by  individuals  or  associations,  is  incon 
sistent  with  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  is,  we  think, 
easily  shown.  Thus  our  Savior,  on  his  trial,  de 
clared  :  "1  spake  openly  to  the  world;  I  ever  taught 
in  the  synagogue,  whither  the  Jews  always  resort ; 
and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing."  (John  xviii :  20.) 
An  association  which  claims  to  be  laboring  in  be 
half  of  true  principles,  and  for  the  moral  and  in 
tellectual  improvement  of  men,  and  yet  conceals  its 
operations  under  the  impenetrable  veil  of  secrecy, 
is  certainly  practicing  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
example  and  teaching  of  the  Son  of  God. 

Again:  The  concealment  of  our  actions  is  con 
demned  in  the  words  of  the  Most  High,  as  recorded 
by  the  prophet :  "  'Woe  unto  them  that  seek  deep  to 
hide  their  counsel  from  the  Lord,  and  their  works  are 
in  the  dark;  and  they  say,  Who  seeth  us  f  and  who 
knoweth  us?  (Is.  xxix  :  15.)  Those  on  whom  a  di 
vine  curse  is  thus  pronounced  are  described  as  en 
deavoring  to  hide  their  works  in  the  dark.  This 
description  applies,  most  assuredly,  to  those  associa 
tions  which  meet  only  at  night,  and  in  rooms  with 


THEIR    SECRECY.  17 


darkened  windows,  and  which  require  their  mem 
bers  solemnly  to  promise  or  swear  that  they  will 
never  make  known  their  proceedings. 

Again :  The  inspired  apostle  incidentally  con 
demns  secret  societies  in  denouncing  the  sins  prev 
alent  in  his  own  day:  "And  have  no  fellowship 
with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather 
reprove  them;  for  it  is  a  shame  to  speak  of  those 
things  that  are  done  of  them  in  secret."  (Eph.  v: 
11,  12.)  It  is  not  without  reason  that  commenta 
tors  understand  the  shameful  things  done  in  se 
cret,  of  which  the  apostle  speaks,  to  be  the 
"mysteries"  of  the  "  secret  societies"  which  pre 
vailed  among  the  ancient  heathen.  They  main 
tained  religious  rites  and  ceremonies  in  honor  of 
their  imaginary  deities,  just  as  most  modern  "  se 
cret  societies  "  make  a  profane  use  of  the  word  and 
worship  of  God  in  their  parades  and  initiations. 
He  says  it  would  be  a  shame  to  speak  of  the  rites 
performed  by  the  heathen  in  their  secret  associa 
tions  in  honor  of  Bacchus  and  Yenus,  the  god  of 
wine  and  the  goddess  of  lust,  and  of  their  other 
abominable  deities.  But  whether  the  apostle  re 
fers  to  the  Eleusinian,  Samothracian,  and  other  pa 
gan  mysteries,  or  not,  the  principle  of  secrecy  comes 
in  for  a  share  of  his  condemnation. 

The  concealment  practiced  by  "  secret  societies  " 
2 


18  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


is  inconsistent,  also,  with  such  declarations  of  the 
Bible  as  the  following:  "For  every  one  that  doeth 
evil  hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest 
his  deeds  should  be  reproved.  But  he  that  doeth 
truth  cometh  to  the  light,  that  his  deeds  may  be 
made  manifest  that  they  are  wrought  in  God"  (John 
iii:  20,  21.)  "Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men 
that  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven"  These  are  the  words 
of  our  Savior,  and  they  certainly  condemn  the  con 
cealment  practiced  by  secret  associations,  and  all 
the  means  employed  for  that  purpose  — their  signs, 
grips,  and  passwords;  their  shunning  the  light  of 
day ;  their  secret  gatherings  in  the  night,  and  in 
rooms  with  darkened  windows ;  the  terrible  oaths 
and  solemn  promises  with  which  they  bind  their 
members  to  perpetual  secrecy ;  the  disgraceful  pun 
ishments  which  they  threaten  to  inflict  on  any 
member  who  will  expose  their  secret  doings — all 
these  things  are  inconsistent  with  the  spirit,  if  not 
the  very  letter,  of  the  commands  of  our  Savior 
quoted  above. 

5.  Besides,  if  the  doings  of  these  associations,  in 
there  secret  meetings,  are  good,  then  it  is  in  the 
violation  of  the  express  command  of  our  Savior  to 
»keep  them  concealed;  for  he  tells  us  to  let  others 
see  our  good  works.  In  case  their  doings  are  bad, 


THEIR   SECRECY.  19 


it  is,  perhaps,  no  violation  of  Christ's  command  to 
keep  them  hid;  but,  most  certainly,  such  things 
ought  not  to  be  done  at  all.  So  far  as  the  moral 
character  of  secret  societies  is  concerned,  it  mat 
ters  not  whether  the  transactions  which  they  so 
studiously  conceal  are  good  or  bad,  sinless  or 
wicked.  If  such  transactions  are  good,  the  Savior 
commands  that  they  be  made  known;  if  they  are 
improper  and  sinful,  he  commands  us  to  have  no 
fellowship  with  them.  In  either  case  secret  asso 
ciations  are  to  be  condemned  as  practicing  con 
trary  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible. 

Hence,  we  conclude  that  the  concealment  so 
studiously  maintained  and  rigidly  enforced  by  the 
associations  whose  moral  character  we  are  consider 
ing  is  condemned  both  by  the  common  judgment 
of  men  and  by  the  Word  of  God. 


20  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

THEIR    OATHS    AND    PROMISES. 

1.  ANOTHER  serious  objection  to  secret  associa 
tions  is  the  profanation  by  them  -of  the  oath  of 
God.  We  regard  such  profanation  as  the  natural 
result  of  their  secrecy.  When  associations  of  men 
endeavor  to  keep  secret  their  operations  from  genera 
tion  to  generation,  they  will  not  be  willing  to  trust 
to  the  honor  and  honesty  of  their  members.  A 
simple  promise  of  secrecy  will  not  be  deemed  suf 
ficient.  Oaths  or  promises,  with  dreadful  penalties, 
will  very  likely  be  required  of  all  those  who  are 
admitted  as  members.  Secret  societies  may,  per 
haps,  exist  without  such  oaths  and  promises.  If 
the  members  of  an  association  are  few  in  number, 
or  if  the  publication  of  its  secrets  would  not  be  re 
garded  as  very  injurious  to  its  interests,  perhaps  a 
simple  promise  of  secrecy  will  be  regarded  as  suf 
ficient;  but  whenever  an  association  endeavors  to 
secure  a  numerous  membership,  and  regards  a  dis 
closure  of  its  secrets  as  likely  to  damage  its  repu 
tation  or  hinder  its  success,  something  more  than  a 


THEIR   OATHS    AND    PROMISES.  21 


simple  promise  of  secrecy  will  very  likely  be  re 
quired  at  the  initiation  of  members.  Accordingly, 
some  secret  associations,  it  is  known,  do  employ 
awful  sanctions  in  order  to  secure  concealment. 
Even  when  the  members  of  a  secret  order  claim 
that  they  are  not  bound  to  secrecy  by  oath,  but 
only  by  a  simple  promise,  it  will,  perhaps,  be  found 
on  examination  that  that  promise  is,  in  reality,  an 
'oath.  An  appeal  to  God  or  to  heaven,  whether 
made  expressly  or  impliedly,  in  attestation  of  the 
truth  of  a  promise  or  declaration,  is  an  oath.  Such 
an  appeal  may  not  be  regarded  as  an  oath  in  our 
civil  courts,  the  violator  of  which  would  incur  the 
pains  and  penalties  of  perjury ;  yet  certainly  it  is 
an  oath  according  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible. 
Our  Savior  teaches  that  to  swear  by  the  temple, 
is  to  swear  by  God  who  dwelleth  therein ;  and  that 
to  swear  by  heaven,  is  to  swear  by  the  throne  of 
God,  and  by  him  that  sitteth  thereon.  (Matt,  xx  : 
23.)  We  find,  also,  that  the  words,  "  As  the  Lord 
liveth,"  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  oath.  King  David 
is  repeatedly  said  to  have  sworn,  when  he  used  this 
form  of  expression,  in  attestation  of  his  sincerity. 
(1  Sam.  xx  :  3  ;  1  Kings  i  :  29.)  An  appeal  to 
God,  whether  direct  or  indirect,  in  attestation  of 
the  truth  of  a  declaration  or  promise,  is  an  oath. 
As  we  have  already  said,  a  secret  association  may 


22  SECRET  SOCIETIES. 


exist  without  an  oath.  But  we  are  not  sure  that 
any  does.  Odd-fellows  have  declared  that  they 
have  no  initiatory  oath.  In  the  address  published 
by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  referred 
to  before,  the  following  declaration  is  made:  "  No 
oath,  as  was  once  supposed,  is  administered  to  the 
candidate."  (App.  to  Proceedings  of  Grand  Lodge, 
1859,  p.  10.)  Yet  Grosch,  in  his  Odd-fellows' 
Manual,  speaks  of  an  "  appeal  to  heaven  "  in  the 
initiation,  at  least,  into  one  of  the  degrees.  (P.  306.) 
Perhaps  the  contradiction  arises  from  a  difference 
of  opinion  in  regard  to  what  it  takes  to  constitute 
an  oath,  or,  perhaps,  from  the  fact  that  an  oath  is 
required  in  initiations  into  some  degrees,  but  not  in 
others.  However  this  may  be,  we  know  that  some 
secret  societies  have  initiatory  oaths,  and  that  nearly 
all  administer  what,  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  an  oath, 
though  they  may  not  so  view  it  themselves.  Nor 
do  we  see  any  reason  to  discredit  the  declaration  of 
Grosch  that  the  candidate  "  appeals  to  heaven." 

2.  Now,  the  taking  of  an  initiatory  oath  is,  to  say 
the  very  least  of  it,  of  doubtful  propriety.  Every 
one  who  does  so  swears  by  the  living  God  that  he 
will  forever  keep  secret  things  about  which  he 
knows  nothing.  The  secrets  of  the  association  are 
not  imparted  to  him  until  after  he  has  sworn  that 
he  will  not  reveal  them.  He  is  kept  ignorant  of 


THEIR    OATHS    AND    PROMISES.  23 


them  until  the  "brethren"  are  assured  by  his  ap 
peal  to  heaven  that  they  can  trust  him.  Now,  the 
inspired  apostle  lays  down  the  principle  that  a  man 
sins  when  he  does  any  thing  about  the  propriety 
of  which  he  is  in  doubt.  He  declares  that  the  eat 
ing  of  meats  was  in  itself  a  matter  of  indifference, 
but  that  if  any  man  esteem  any  thing  unclean,  to 
him  it  is  unclean.  He  then  makes  the  following 
declaration :  "  But  he  that  doubteth  is  damned  if 
he  eat,  because  he  eateth  not  of  faith;  for  whatso 
ever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin."  (Rom.  xiv :  22,  23.) 
According  to  this  most  emphatic  declaration,  we 
must  have  faith  and  confidence  that  what  we  do  is 
right,  else  we  are  blameworthy.  We  sin  whenever 
we  do  any  thing  which  is,  according  to  our  own 
judgment,  of  doubtful  propriety.  The  man  who  is 
initiated  into  an  oath-bound  society,  swears  that  he 
will  keep  secret  things  about  which  he  knows  noth 
ing — things  which,  for  aught  he  knows,  ought  not 
to  be  kept  secret.  If  the  apostle  condemned,  in 
most  emphatic  language,  the  man  who  would  dx>  so 
trivial  a  thing  as  eat  meat  without  assuring  himself 
of  the  lawfulness  of  his  doing  so,  what  would  he 
have  said  had  the  practice  existed  in  his  day  of 
swearing  by  the  God  of  heaven  in  regard  to  matters 
that  are  altogether  unknown?  To  say  the  very 
least,  such  swearing  is  altogether  inconsistent  with 


24  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


that  caution  and  conscientiousness  which  the  Scrip 
tures  enjoin.  The  apostle  also  condemns  the  con 
duct  of  those  who  "  understand  neither  what  they 
say  nor  whereof  they  affirm"  (1  Tim.  i :  7.)  Does 
not  his  condemnation  fall  on  those  who  know  not 
about  what  they  swear,  nor  whereof  they  appeal  to 
heaven  ? 

3.  There  is  another  objection  to  taking  an  initia 
tory  oath.  We  are  expressly  forbidden  to  take 
God's  name  in  vain.  To  pronounce  God's  name 
without  a  good  reason  for  doing  so  is  to  take  it  in 
vain.  Certainly,  to  swear  by  the  name  of  the  liv 
ing  God  demands  an  important  occasion.  To  make 
an  appeal  to  the  God  of  heaven  on  some  trifling 
occasion  is  a  profanation  of  his  oath  and  name. 
If  the  secrets  of  Masonry,  Odd-fellowship,  Good 
Templars,  and  similar  associations,  are  unimportant, 
their  oaths,  appeals  to  heaven,  and  solemn  prom 
ises  made  in  the  presence  of  God  are  profane  and 
sinful.  Perhaps  their  boasted  secrets  are  only  signs, 
grips,  pass-words,  and  absurd  rites  of  initiation.  To 
swear  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  about  things  of  this 
kind  is  certainly  a  violation  of  the  third  command 
ment.  The  candidate  does  not  know  that  the  secrets 
about  to  be  disclosed  to  him  are  of  any  importance, 
and  he  runs  the  risk  of  using  God's  name  and 
oath  about  li^ht  and  trivial  things.  He  must  be 


THEIR   OATHS    AND    PROMISES.  25 


uncertain  whether  there  is  any  thing  of  importance 
in  hand  at  the  time  of  swearing,  and  how  can  he 
escape  the  disapproval  of  God,  since  the  inspired 
Paul  declares  that  the  doubtful  eater  of  meat  is 
damned?  (Rom.  xiv  :  23.) 

4.  We  have  already  adverted  to  the  fact  that  con 
cealment  is  resorted  to  in  order  to  take  advantage 
of  "a  weakness  in  human  nature,"  and  to  recom 
mend  things  which,  if  known  generally,  would  be 
disregarded.     Is  it  right  to  use  the  name  and  oath 
of  God  for  the  accomplishment  of  such  purposes  ? 
Is  it   right  to  use   the  name  and  oath  of  God  in 
order  to  take  advantage  of  ua  weakness  in  human 
nature,"  and  to  invest  with  fictitious  charms  things 
which,  if  seen  in  the  clear  light  of  day,  would  be 
regarded  with  indifference  or  contempt?     The  tak 
ing  of  oaths  for  such  purposes,  and  under  such  cir 
cumstances,  will  generally  be  avoided  by  those  who 
give  good  heed  to  the  command,  "  Thou  shalt  not 
take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain ;    for 
the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless   that  taketh 
his  name  in  vain." 

5.  While  we  do  not  claim  that  there  is  any  pas 
sage  of  Scripture  which  expressly  declares  the  ini 
tiatory  oaths  under  consideration  to  be  profane  and 
sinful,  at  the  same  time    there  are  many  passages 
which  require  us  to  beware  how  and  when  we  swear  : 


26  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


"  But  above  all  things,  my  brethren,  sivear  not,  neither 
by  heaven,  neither  by  the  earth,  neither  by  any  other 
oath  •  but  let  your  yea  be  yea,  and  your  nay,  nay, 
lest  ye  fall  into  condemnation"  (James  v :  12.)  Does 
not  this  command  condemn  those  who  swear  to 
keep  secret  they  know  not  what,  and  to  fulfill  ob 
ligations  which  devolve  upon  them  as  members  of 
an  association,  before  they  know  fully  what  that  as 
sociation  is,  or  what  those  obligations  are?  Should 
not  every  one  consider  himself  admonished  not  to 
swear  such  an  oath  lest  he  fall  into  condemnation? 
Again:  Our  Savior  says,  "  Swear  not  at  all;  neither 
by  heaven,  for  it  is  God's  throne ;  nor  by  the  earth, 
for  it  is  his  footstool ;  neither  by  Jerusalem,  for  it 
is  the  city  of  the  great  king.  Neither  shalt  thou 
swear  by  thy  head,  because  thou  canst  not  make 
one  hair  white  or  black ;  but  let  your  communica 
tion  be  yea,  yea,  nay,  nay  ;  for  whatsoever  is  more 
than  these,  cometh  of  evil."  These  words  were 
spoken  in  condemnation  of  those  who  employed 
oaths  frequently  and  on  improper  occasions.  They 
should  make  every  one  hesitate  in  regard  to  swear 
ing,  in  any  form,  on  his  initiation  into  an  order  the 
obligations  and  operations  of  which  have  not  yet 
been  revealed  to  him.  Once  more :  "  Be  not  rash 
with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not  thine  heart  be  hasty  to  utter 
any  thing  before  God,  for  God  is  in  heaven  and  thou 


THEIR    OATHS    AND    PROMISES.  27 


upon  earth;  therefore,  let  thy  words  be  few."  (Eccl. 
v :  2.)  Is  it  not  a  rash  thing  to  bind  one's  self  by 
the  oath  of  God  to  keep  secret  things  as  yet  un 
known,  or  to  bind  one's  self  to  conform  to  unknown 
regulations  and  usages  ?  In  view  of  these  declara 
tions  of  the  Word  of  God,  it  certainly  would  be 
well  to  avoid  taking  such  oaths  as  generally  are 
required  of  the  members  of  secret  associations  at 
their  initiation. 

6.  The  promise  required  of  candidates  at  their  in 
itiation,  whether  there  be  an  oath  or  not,  is  also,  at 
least  in  many  cases,  improper  and  sinful.  For  in 
stance,  the  "  candidate  for  the  mysteries  of  Ma 
sonry,"  previous  to  initiation,  must  make  the  declar 
ation  that  he  "  will  cheerfully  conform  to  all  the 
ancient  established  usages  and  customs  of  the  fra 
ternity."  (Webb's  Freemason's  Monitor,  p.  34.) 
Grosch,  in  his  Odd-fellows'  Manual,  directs  the 
candidate  at  his  initiation  as  follows  :  "  Give  your 
self  passively  to  your  guides,  to  lead  you  whither 
soever  they  will."  (P.  91.)  Again,  in  regard  to 
initiation  into  a  certain  degree,  he  says  :  "  The  can 
didate  for  this  degree  should  be  firm  and  decided 
in  his  answers  to  all  questions  asked  him,  and  pa 
tient  in  all  required  of  him,"  etc.  (P.  279.)  In 
the  form  of  application  for  membership,  as  laid 
down  by  Grosch,  the  applicant  promises  as  follows  : 


28  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


"  If  admitted,  I  promise  obedience  to  tlie  usages 
and  laws  of  the  Order  and  of  the  Lodge."  (P.  378.) 
These  declarations,  by  reliable  authors,  plainly 
show  that  both  in  Masonry  and  Odd-fellowship 
obligations  are  laid  on  members  of  which,  at  the 
time,  they  are  ignorant.  Candidates  for  Masonry 
must  promise  to  conform,  yes,  "  cheerfully  conform 
to  all  the  ancient  established  usages  and  customs 
of  the  fraternity."  The  application  for  member 
ship  in  the  association  of  Odd-fellows  must  be  ac 
companied  by  a  promise  of  obedience  to  the  usages 
and  laws  both  of  the  whole  Order  and  of  the  lodge 
in  which  membership  is  sought.  No  man  has  a 
right  to  make  such  a  promise  until  he  has  carefully 
examined  the  usages,  and  customs,  and  laws  referred 
to.  While  he  is  ignorant  of  them,  he  does  not  know 
but  some  of  them  or  all  of  them  may  be  morally 
wrong.  Before  the  candidate  has  been  initiated,  he 
has  not  had  an  opportunity  of  acquainting  himself 
with  all  the  laws,  usages,  and  customs  which  he 
promises  to  obey.  Is  not  such  a  promise  con 
demned  by  the  divine  injunction,  "  Be  not  rash 
with  thy  mouth?"  Is  not  the  man  who  promises 
to  obey  regulations,  customs,  and  usages  before  he 
knows  fully  what  they  are  as  blameworthy  as  the 
doubtful  eater  of  meats,  who,  the  inspired  apostle 
tells  us,  is  damned  for  doing  what  he  is  not  confi- 


THEIR   OATHS   AND   PROMISES.  29 


dent  is  right?  The  candidate  for  initiation  into 
Odd-fellowship  must  "  give  himself  passively  to 
his  guides."  Such  demands  indicate  the  spirit 
which  secret  associations  require  of  their  members. 
They  must  surrender  the  exercise  of  their  own 
judgment,  and  permit  themselves  to  be  blindly  led 
by  others.  No  man  has  a  right  thus  to  surrender 
himself  passively  to  the  guidance  of  others.  Every 
man  is  bound  to  act  according  to  his  own  judgment 
and  conscience.  Before  a  man  promises  to  obey 
any  human  regulations,  or  to  conform  to  any  usage 
or  custom,  he  is  bound  to  know  what  that  regula 
tion,  usage,  or  custom  is,  and  to  see  that  it  is  mor 
ally  right.  To  do  otherwise  is  to  sin  against  con 
science  and  the  law  of  God. 

7.  Besides  this,  the  promise  to  "  preserve  mys 
teries  inviolate,"  made  before  they  have  been  made 
known  to  the  promiser,  is  condemned  by  sound 
morality.  He  may  have  heard  the  declaration  of 
others  that  there  is  nothing  wrong  in  "  the  mys 
teries,"  but  this  is  not  sufficient  to  justify  him.  A 
man  is  bound  to  exercise  his  own  reason  and  con 
science  in  regard  to  all  questions  of  morality. 

No  man  has  a  right,  at  any  time,  to  lay  aside 
his  reason  and  conscience  and  allow  himself  to  be 
" guided  passively"  by  others.  Every  man  is. 
bound  to  see  and  decide  for  himself  in  every  case 


30  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


of  duty  and  morals.  We  should  not  let  the  church 
of  Christ  even  decide  for  us  iu  such  matters,  much 
less  some  association,  composed,  it  may  be,  of  infi 
dels,  Mormons,  Jews.  Mohammedans,  and  all  sorts 
of  men  except  atheists.  (See  pages  37,  31.)  A 
band  of  such  men  may  have  secrets  very  immoral 
in  character,  and  which  it  would  be  a  violation  of 
God's  law  to  preserve  inviolate.  To  promise  before 
hand  that  any  " mysteries"  which  they  may  see  fit 
to  enact  and  practice  shall  be  forever  concealed,  is 
to  trifle  with  conscience  and  morality.  It  is  use 
less  to  plead  that  a  member  can  withdraw  as  soon 
as  he  discovers  any  thing  wrong  in  the  regulations 
and  usages  which  he  is  required  to  obey.  Every 
one  who  joins  such  an  association  as  those  under 
consideration  must  make  up  his  mind  to  do  so  be 
fore  he  knows  what  "  the  mysteries  "  are,  and  he 
must  promise  (either  with  or  without  an  oath)  that 
he  will  preserve  them  inviolate  before  "  the  breth 
ren  "  will  intrust  them  to  him.  The  possibility  of 
dissolving  his  connection  with  the  association  after 
ward  does  not  exonerate  him  of  promising  to  do 
he  knows  not  what — of  laying  aside  his  own  con 
science  and  reason,  and  yielding  himself  "  pas 
sively  "  to  others.  The  promise  of  secrecy  and  of 
obedience  to  unknown  regulations  and  customs, 
required  at  the  initiation  of  candidates  into  such 


THEIR    OATHS    AND    PROMISES.  31 


associations  as  we  are  considering,  is,  therefore, 
a  step  in  the  dark.  It  involves  the  assuming  of 
an  obligation  to  do  what  may  be  morally  wrong, 
and  is,  therefore,  inconsistent  with  the  teachings 
of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  principles  of  sound 
morality, 


32  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THEIR    PROFANENESS. 

1.  ANOTHER  evil  connected  with  secrecy,  as 
maintained  by  the  associations  the  character  of 
which  is  now  under  consideration,  is  the  profane 
use  of  sacred  things  in  ceremonies,  celebrations, 
and  processions.  This  evil  has,  perhaps,  no  neces 
sary  connection  with  secrecy,  but  has  generally  in 
fact.  The  "secret  societies"  of  antiquity  dealt 
largely  in  religious  ceremonies.  It  is  the  frequent 
boast  of  Masons,  Odd-fellows,  and  others,  that 
their  associations  correspond  to  those  of  ancient 
times.  There  is,  indeed,  a  correspondence  between 
them  in  the  use  of  religious  rites.  Those  of  an 
cient  times  employed  the  rites  of  heathenish  super 
stition  ;  those  of  modern  times  are,  perhaps,  as 
objectionable  on  account  of  their  prostituting  the 
religion  of  Christ.  The  holy  Bible,  the  word  of 
the  living  God,  is  used  by  Masons  as  a  mere  em 
blem,  like  the  square  and  compass.  The  pot  of  in 
cense,  the  holy  tabernacle,  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
the  holy  miter,  and  the  holy  breastplate  are  also 


THEIR    PROFANENESS.  33 


employed  as  emblems,  along  with  the  lambskin  and 
the  sword  pointing  to  a  naked  heart.  At  the  open 
ing  of  lodges  and  during  initiations,  passages  of 
Scripture  are  read  as  a  mere  ceremony,  or  as  a 
charge  to  the  members  in  regard  to  their  duty  as 
Masons.  Thus  a  perverse  use  of  holy  Scripture  is 
made  in  the  application  of  it  to  matters  to  which 
it  has  no  reference  whatever.  (Freemason's  Mon 
itor,  pp.  92,  19-181).  Even  the  great  Jehovah  is 
represented  in  some  of  their  ceremonies  by  symbols. 
His  all-seeing  eye  is  represented  by  the  image  of  a 
human  eye.  (Freemason's  Monitor,  pp,  85,  290.) 
Masonry  also  profanes  the  name  and  titles  of  God. 
God  alone  is  to  be  worshiped ;  he  alone  should  be 
addressed  as  the  Most  Worshipful  Being.  But  Ma 
sonry  requires  the  use  of  such  language  as  follows : 
"The  Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master,"  and  "The 
Most  Worshipful  Grand  Lodge."  God  alone  is 
Almighty,  but  Masons  have  their  "  Thrice  Illus 
trious  and  Grand  Puissant,"  and  their  u  Thrice  Po 
tent  Grand  Master."  God  alone  is  perfect,  but 
Masons  have  a  "  Grand  Lodge  of  Perfection  "  and  a 
"  Grand  Elect  Perfect  and  Sublime  Mason."  (Mon 
itor,  pp.  187,  219  ;  Monitor  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Eite,  pp.  52.)  Christ  is  the  great  High  Priest,  and 
Aaron  and  his  successors  were  his  representatives, 
but  Masons  have  a  "  High  Priest,"  a  "  Grand  High 
3 


34  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


Priest,"  yea,  a  "Most  Excellent  Grand  High  Priest." 
At  the  installation  of  this  so-called  High  Priest, 
various  passages  of  Scripture  treating  of  the  priest 
hood  of  Melchisedec  and  of  Christ  are  used. 
(Webb's  Monitor,  pp.  178-181,  187.) 

We  regard  these  high-sounding  titles  as  ridicu 
lous,  and  as  well  calculated  to  excite  derision  and 
scorn ;  but  we  do  not  now  treat  of  them  in  that 
regard.  We  call  attention,  at  present,  to  the  em 
blems  and  titles  used  by  Masons  as  profane.  God 
did  not  intend  his  holy  Word,  and  the  Tabernacle, 
and  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  and  the  Breastplate, 
to  be  used  as  the  symbols  of  Masonry.  These  and 
other  holy  things  were  intended  only  for  holy  pur 
poses.  To  use  them  as  the  Masons  do  is  to  per 
vert  and  profane  them.  The  visible  representation 
of  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God  is  certainly  a  species 
of  idolatry,  and  is  forbidden  by  the  second  com 
mandment.  Such,  also,  are  the  triangles,  declared 
to  be  "a  beautiful  emblem  of  the  eternal  Jehovah." 
(Monitor,  p.  290.)  The  Israelites,  of  course,  did 
not  understand  that  the  Divine  Being  was  really 
like  their  golden  calf;  they  considered  it  a  symbol 
of  Deity.  How  much  better  is  it  to  assimilate 
God  to  a  triangle  than  to  a  calf?  The  difference  is 
just  this:  the  latter  idea  is  more  gross  than  the 
former.  The  sin  of  idolatry — that  is,  of  representing 


THEIR   PROFANENESS.  35 


God  under  a  visible  figure — is  involved  in  both  cases. 
The  profaneness  of  the  titles  mentioned  above  must 
at  once  be  evident  to  every  reverent,  considerate 
mind.  They  are  such  as  in  the  Bible  are  ascribed 
only  to  God  and  to  Christ.  Indeed,  Masons  give 
more  exalted  titles  to  their  sham  priest  than  the 
^Scriptures  employ  to  describe  the  character  and 
office  of  the  great  High  Priest  who  is  "made 
higher  than  the  heavens."  If  this  is  not  profane, 
we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  what  can  be  profane* 

2.  The  Odd-fellows  in  profanation  of  holy 
things  go  about  as  far  as  the  Masons.  They  em 
ploy  "the  brazen  serpent,"  "the  budded  rod  of 
Aaron,"  "the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,"  "the  breast 
plate  for  the  high  priest,"  and  other  holy  things 
as  emblems  of  their  order,  along  with  "the  shining 
sun,"  "  the  half  moon,"  etc.  They  have  their  "  Most 
Worthy  Grand  Master,"  and  their  "Most  Excellent 
Grand  High  Priest,"  and  other  officers  designated 
by  titles  which  should  be  given  to  God  and  Christ 
alone.  Indeed,  as  it  respects  emblems  and  titles, 
Masonry  seems  to  be  the  example  which  other  se 
cret  associations  have  followed.  In  regard  to  the 
profanation  of  holy  things,  the  difference,  between 
most  of  the  secret  associations  in  our  land  is  one 
merely  of  degree.  This  profanation  of  the  word, 
name,  and  titles  of  God  is  certainly  sinful  in  itself, 


36  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


and  very  injurious  in  its  effects.*  What  kind  of 
ideas  of  God,  and  Christ,  and  heaven  must  persons 
have  who  conceive  and  think  of  God  under  the 
figure  of  three  triangles ;  of  Christ  and  his  priest 
hood  as  symbolized  by  "the  Most  Excellent  Grand 
High  Priest,"  officiating  amid  the  tomfooleries  of 
Masonry  and  Odd-fellowship  ;  and  of  heaven  as  a 
Grand  Lodge -room.  What  ideas  of  the  Divine 
Majesty  and  Glory  must  they  have  who  are  accus 
tomed  to  give  to  the  officers  of  a  secret  association, 
and  to  men  who  are,  perhaps,  destitute  of  faith 
and  holiness,  and  who  may  be  Jews,  Turks,  or  infi 
dels,  as  grand  titles  as  the  Scriptures  give  to  the 
God  of  heaven  and  the  Savior  of  the  world.  Be 
sides  it  is  very  improper  and  sinful  to  give  to 
mere  men  the  titles  and  glory  which  are  due  to 
God  alone.  We  learn  that  it  was  precisely  for 
this  sin  that  the  Divine  displeasure  was  visited  upon 
king  Herod.  On  a  certain  occasion,  having  put  on 
his  royal  apparel,  he  sat  on  his  throne  and  made  a 
public  oration.  The  people  who  heard  him  shouted 
and  said,  "It  is  the  voice  of  a  God  and  not  of  a 
man;  and  immediately  the  angel  of  the  Lord  smote 
him,  because  he  gave  not  God  the  glory ;  and  he  was 
eaten  of  worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost"  (Acts  xii: 
23.)  It  was  for  the  same  spirit  of  self-glorification 
that  the  king  of  Babylon  was  punished  with  mad- 


THEIR    PROFANENESS. 


ness  and  disgrace.  Nebuchadnezzar  walked  in  his 
palace,  and  said  :  "Is  not  this  great  Babylon,  which 
I  have  built  for  the  house  of  my  kingdom  by  the 
might  of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  maj 
esty?"  The  same  hour  he  was  driven  from  men, 
and  did  eat  grass  as  oxen ;  and  his  body  was  wet 
with  the  dew  of  heaven,  till  his  hairs  were  grown 
like  eagles'  feathers,  and  his  nails  like  birds7 
claws.  (Dan.  iv:  30-33.) 

2.  Another  objectionable  feature  of  many  secret 
societies  is,  that  they  profane  the  worship  of  God. 
They  claim  (at  least  those  which  seem  to  embrace 
the  most  numerous  membership)  to  be,  in  some 
sense,  religious  associations.  They  maintain  forms 
of  worship;  their  rituals  contain  prayers  to  be 
used  at  initiations,  installations,  funerals,  consecra 
tions,  etc.  They  receive  into  membership,  as  we 
shall  afterward  see,  almost  all  sorts  of  men  except 
atheists.  Being  composed  of  Jews,  Turks,  Mo 
hammedans,  Mormons,  and  infidels,  as  well  as  of 
believers  in  Christianity,  they  endeavor  to  estab 
lish  such  forms  as  will  be  acceptable  to  their  mon 
grel  and  motley  membership.  Hence  their  prayers 
and  other  forms  of  worship  are  such  as  may  be 
consistently  used  by  the  irreligious  and  by  in 
fidels,  and  only  by  them.  We  do  not  say  that  no 
Christian  prayers  are  offered  up  in  Masonic  lodges. 


38  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


No  doubt  some  godly  men,  as  chaplains,  offer  up 
extempore  prayers  in  the  name  of  Christ;  but 
such  prayers  are  not  Masonic.  They  are  not  au 
thorized  by  the  Masonic  ritual;  they  are  contrary 
to  the  spirit  if  not  to  the  express  regulations  of 
Masonry.  Any  member  would  have  a  right  to  ob 
ject  to  them,  and  his  objections  would  have  to  be 
sustained.  The  only  prayers  which  Masonry  does 
authorize,  and  can  consistently  authorize,  are  Christ- 
less — infidel  prayers  and  services.  The  proof  of 
this  declaration  can  be  found  in  every  Masonic 
manual.  (See  Webb's  Monitor,  pp.  36,  80,  189, 
and  Carson's  Monitor,  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted 
Kite,  pp.  47,  61,  95,  99.)  In  all  the  prayers  thus 
presented,  the  name  of  Christ  is  excluded;  it  is 
excluded  even  from  the  prayers  to  be  offered  at 
the  installation  of  the  "Most  Excellent  Grand 
High  Priest."  (Webb's  Mon.,  pp.  183, 189.)  The 
idea  of  human  guilt  is,  also,  almost  entirely  ex 
cluded  from  these  prayers;  the  idea  of  pardon 
through  the  atonement  of  Christ  is  never  once 
presented  in  them.  In  the  prayer  to  be  used  at 
the  funeral  of  a  "  Past  Master,"  it  is  declared  that 
admission  unto  God's  "everlasting  kingdom  is  the 
just  reward  of  a  pious  and  virtuous  life."  Every 
true  Christian,  on  reflection,  must  see  that  such 
prayers  are  an  insult  to  the  Almighty.  They  are 


THEIR   PROFANENESS.  39 


just  such   as  infidels  and  all  objectors    of  Christ 
may  offer. 

The  prayers  of  the  society  of  Odd-fellows  are 
equally  objectionable.  In  respect  to  the  character  of 
their  religious  services,  they  are  to  be  classed  with 
the  Masons.  Odd-fellowship  knows  no  God  but 
the  god  of  the  infidel;  it  recognizes  the  Creator 
of  the  Universe  and  the  Father  of  men,  but  not 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 
The  name  of  Christ  has  no  more  a  place  in  the  re 
ligion  of  Odd-fellowship,  according  to  its  principles 
and  regulations,  than  in  a  heathen  temple  or  an 
infidel  club-room.  It  is  quite  likely  that  some 
times  chaplains,  officiating  in  the  lodge-room,  pray 
in  the  name  of  Christ;  but  a  Turk,  according  to 
the  principles  and  regulations  of  Odd-fellowship, 
would  have  just  as  much  right  to  pray  in  the 
name  of  Mohammed,  or  a  Mormon  in  the  name  of 
Joe  Smith.  These  are  facts  which,  we  presume, 
all  acquainted  with  the  forms  and  ceremonies  in 
use  among  Odd-fellows  will  admit.  Grjoseh,  in  his 
Manual,  makes  the  following  declaration:  "The 
descendants  of  Abraham,  the  divers  followers  of 
Jesus,  the  Pariahs  of  the  stricter  sects,  here  gather 
round  the  same  altar  as  one  family,  manifesting  no 
differences  of  creed  or  worship;  and  discord  and 
contention  are  forgotten  in  works  of  humanity  and 


40  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


peace."  (Pp.  285,  286.)  This  declaration  has  ref 
erence,  of  course,  to  all  the  members  of  the  asso 
ciations — believers  in  Christianity,  Jews,  Moham 
medans,  Indians,  Hindoos,  and  infidels.  How  do 
they  manage  to  worship  so  lovingly  together  in  the 
lodge-room?  Our  author  asserts  that  they  "leave 
their  prejudices  at  the  door."  Of  course  their 
forms  of  worship  embody  no  "  prejudices."  The 
thing  is  managed  in  this  way :  Whatever  is  peculiar 
to  Judaism  is  excluded  from  the  ritual  and  worship 
of  Odd-fellows  ;  whatever  is  peculiar  to  Hindooism  is 
excluded ;  whatever  is  peculiar  to  Mohammedanism 
is  excluded ;  whatever  is  peculiar  to  Christianity  is 
excluded  ;  whatever  is  peculiar  to  any  form  of  re 
ligion  is  excluded.  Only  so  much  as  is  held  in 
common  by  Jews,  Hindoos,  Mohammedans,  and 
Christians  is  allowed  a  place  in  the  ritual  and  wor 
ship  of  Odd-fellows.  But  how  much  is  held  in 
common  by  these  various  classes?  After  every 
thing  peculiar  to  each  class  has  been  thrown  over 
board,  how  much  is  left?  Nothing  but  deism  or 
infidelity.  The  only  views  held  in  common  by 
the  Jew,  Mohammedan,  Christian,  and  others  are 
just  those  held  by  infidels.  The  religion  of  Odd- 
fellowship  is  infidelity,  and  its  prayers  are  infidel 
prayers. 

Not  only  such  are   the  prayers  and  religion  of 


THEIR   PROFANENESS.  41 


Masonry  and  Odd-fellowship,  but  such  must  be  the 
religion  and  prayers  of  all  associations  organized 
on  their  principles.  The  only  way  to  welcome  all 
of  every  creed,  Jew,  Mohammedan,  Hindoo,  etc., 
and  make  them  feel  at  home  in  an  association,  is  to 
exclude  every  thing  offensive  to  the  conscience  or 
prejudices  of  any  one  of  them.  And  when  every 
thing  of  that  sort  has  been  excluded,  the  residuum, 
in  every  case,  as  every  one  must  see,  will  be  deism 
or  infidelity.  This  is  a  serious  matter.  Christians 
are  not  free  from  guilt  in  countenancing  such 
prayers  and  services.  The  tendency  of  such  relig 
ious  performances  must  be  very  injurious.  Who 
ever  adopts  the  religious,  or  rather  irreligious,  spirit 
and  principles  of  Masonry,  Odd-fellowship,  and  other 
similar  associations  must  discard  Christianity  and 
the  Bible.  No  doubt  there  are  some,  perhaps  there 
are  many  Christians  in  connection  with  such  asso 
ciations,  but  they  certainly  do  not  and  can  not  ap 
prove  the  Christless  prayers  of  the  lodge-room, 
much  less  join  in  them.  Is  it  right  for  the  disci 
ples  of  Jesus,  or  even  for  believers  in  Christianity, 
as  the  great  majority  of  people  in  this  country  are, 
to  sustain  any  association  which  puts  Christianity 
on  a  level  with  pagan  superstition,  which  treats 
Jesus  Christ  with  no  more  regard  and  venera 
tion  than  it  does  Mohammed,  Confucius,  or  Joe 


42  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


Smith,  and  whose  only  religion  is  the  religion  of 
infidels  ? 

If  secret  associations  did  not  pretend  to  have  any 
religion  or  any  religious  services,  but  would,  like  bank 
and  railroad  companies,  conduct  their  affairs  without 
religious  forms,  it  would  be  infinitely  better. 


THEIR   EXCLUS1VENESS.  43 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THEIR     EXCLUSIVENESS. 

1.  ANOTHER  objection  which  may  be  urged 
against  secret  societies  in  general,  is  their  selfish 
exclusiveness. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  Christian  religion  has 
often  been  subjected  to  reproach  by  the  bigotry 
and  sectarianism  of  its  professors.  If  the  Bible 
^  inculcated  bigotry  and  sectarianism,  it  would  be  a 
well-founded  objection  to  Christianity  itself;  but 
Christianity  is  eminently  catholic  and  democratic, 
and  is  diametrically  opposed  to  an  exclusive  and 
partisan  spirit.  The  command  of  Christ  to  his 
church  is  to  make  no  distinction  on  account  of 
class  or  condition,  but  to  receive  all,  and  especially 
to  care  for  the  poor,  the  unfortunate,  the  oppressed, 
the  blind,  the  lame,  the  maimed,  and  the  diseased. 
Sometimes  men  calling  themselves  Christians  act  so 
directly  contrary  to  the  impartial,  catholic  spirit 
and  teachings  of  Christ  as  to  render  themselves 
unworthy  of  all  sympathy  and  encouragement ;  but 
the  exclusiveness  of  secret  societies  is,  we  think, 


44  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


unparalleled  in  our  day  for  its  selfishness  and 
meanness.  They  claim  to  be  charitable  and  benev 
olent  institutions;  they  assert  that  membership  in 
them  confers  great  honors  and  advantages ;  they 
profess  (at  least  many  of  them)  to  act  on  the  prin 
ciple  of  the  universal  brotherhood  of  men  and 
fatherhood  of  God.  (Moore's  Con.  of  Freema 
sonry,  p.  125;  Webb's  Monitor,  pp.  21,  51;  Pro 
ceedings  of  Odd-fellows'  Grand  Lodge  of  United 
States,  1859,  App.,  p.  6.)  We  say  nothing  now 
about  the  falsity  of  these  claims  and  professions; 
but  we  assert  that,  even  admitting  the  boasted  hon 
ors  and  advantages  enjoyed  by  members  of  secret 
associations,  such  associations  are  eminently  exclu 
sive  and  selfish.  Of  this  proposition  there  is 
abundant  proof. 

2.  The  Masons  utterly  refuse  to  admit  as  mem 
bers  women,  slaves,  persons  not  free-born,  and 
persons  having  any  maim,  defect,  or  imperfection 
in  their  bodies ;  or,  at  least,  the  principles  of  Ma 
sonry  forbid  the  admission  of  all  such  persons. 
(Masonic  Constitutions,  published  by  authority  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio,  Art.  3  and  4.)  Moore, 
editor  of  the  Masonic  Review,  in  his  Ancient 
Charges  and  Regulations  of  Freemasonry,  in  com 
menting  on  the  articles  above  referred  to,  makes 
the  following  declarations:  "The  rituals  and  cere- 


THEIR    EXCLUSIVENESS.  45 


monies  of  the  order  forbid  the  presence  of  women;" 
and  a  the  law  proclaiming  her  exclusion  is  as  un- 
repealable  as  that  of  the  Medes  and  Persians."  (P. 
145.)  Again  :  "  Masonry  requires  candidates  for 
its  honors  to  have  been  free  by  birth  ;  no  taint  of 
slavery  or  dishonor  must  rest  upon  their  origin." 
(P.  143.)  Once  more  this  author  remarks  :  "  A 
candidate  for  Masonry  must  be  physically  perfect. 
As  under  the  Jewish  economy  no  person  who  was 
maimed  or  defective  in  his  physical  organism, 
though  of  the  tribe  of  Aaron,  could  enter  upon  the 
office  of  a  priest,  nor  a  physically  defective  animal 
be  offered  in  sacrifice,  so  no  man  who  is  not  c  per 
fect  '  in  his  bodily  organization  can  legally  be  made 
a  Mason.  We  have  occasionally  met  with  men 
having  but  one  arm  or  one  leg,  who  in  that  condi 
tion  had  been  made  Masons ;  and  on  one  or  two 
occasions  we  have  found  those  who  were  totally 
blind  who  had  been  admitted  !  This  is  so  entirely 
illegal,  so  utterly  at  variance  with  a  law  which 
every  Mason  is  bound  to  obey,  that  it  seems  almost 
incredible,  yet  it  is  true."  (P.  152.)  It  is,  hence, 
seen  that  Masonry  is  very  exclusive.  No  woman 
can  be  a  member.  This  regulation  excludes  at 
once  one  half  of  mankind  from  its  boasted  advan 
tages.  The  oppressed  slave  is  excluded  ;  the  man 
born  in  slavery,  though  now  free,  is  excluded ;  the 


46  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


lame  man  is  excluded ;  the  man  who  has  lost  an 
eye  is  excluded;  the  man  who  has  lost  a  hand  is 
excluded ;  the  man  who  has  lost  a  foot  is  excluded ; 
the  man  on  whose  birth  any  taint  of  dishonor  rests 
is  excluded ;  the  man  who  is  imperfect  in  body  is 
excluded.  No  matter  how  good,  patriotic,  and  wise 
such  persons  are,  still  they  are  excluded ;  no  mat 
ter  how  needy  such  persons  are,  still  they  are  ex 
cluded  ;  no  matter  though  a  man  have  lost  a  hand, 
or  foot,  or  eye  in  defense  of  his  country  and  lib 
erty,  still  he  is  excluded ;  no  matter  though  a 
freedman,  exhibiting  bravery,  and  piety,  and  every 
virtue,  still  the  "  taint  of  slavery  rests  on  his 
birth,"  he  is  excluded.  Widows  and  orphans  are 
excluded. 

"  If  a  brother  should  be  a  rebel  against  the  state, 
the  loyal  brotherhood  can  not  expel  him  from  the 
lodge,  and  his  relation  to  it  remains  indefeasible." 
(Moore's  Constitutions,  Art.  2.)  A  Mason  may  be 
engaged  in  a  wicked  rebellion,  and  may  stain  his 
soul  and  hands  with  innocent  blood,  and  still  he 
must  be  recognized  as  "  a  brother,"  and  must  con 
tinue  to  enjoy  all  the  boasted  rights  and  advantages 
of  the  order ;  but  the  patriot  soldier  who  has 
been  disabled  for  life  in  defense  of  his  country 
and  liberty  is  excluded.  The  widows  and  orphans 
of  rebel  Masons  slain  in  battle,  or  righteously  exe- 


THEIR   EXCLUSIVENESS.  47 


cuted  on  the  scaffold,  must  receive  "  the  benefits;" 
but  the  widows  and  orphans  of  patriot  soldiers  who 
did  not  choose  to  join  the  Masons,  or  were  excluded 
by  some  bodily  imperfection,  or  by  wounds  received 
in  battle,  are  left  to  the  charities  of  "  the  ignorant 
and  prejudiced."  The  Jew,  the  Turk,  the  Hin 
doo,  the  American  savage,  and  the  infidel  (provided 
they  are  not  atheists),  are  eligible  to  the  boasted 
honors  and  advantages  of  Masonry.  (Moore's  Con 
stitutions,  pp.  119,  123.)  But  if  a  man  have  every 
intellectual  gift  and  every  moral  virtue,  and  have 
some  bodily  imperfection,  he  is  excluded.  A  man 
may  be  as  gifted  and  as  learned  as  Milton,  as  incor 
ruptible  and  patriotic  as  Washington,  and  as  benevo 
lent  as  Howard,  but  if  he  is  physically  imperfect  he 
is  excluded  from  this  association,  which  claims  to  be 
no  respecter  of  persons,  but  to  be  the  patron  of 
merit,  and  which  professes  to  act  on  the  principle 
of  the  universal  brotherhood  of  men. 

3.  Exclusiveness  in  about  the  same  degree  char 
acterizes  other  secret  societies.  The  Constitution 
of  the  Odd-fellows'  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio  provides 
that  the  candidate  for  membership  must  be  "  a  free 
white  person  possessed  of  some  known  means  of 
support  and  free  from  all  infirmity  or  disease." 
(Art.  6,  Sec.  1.)  Substantially  the  same  qualifica 
tions  for  membership  are  required  by  the  constitu- 


48  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


tions  and  laws  of  other  secret  associations.  (Con 
stitution  of  Ancient  Order  of  Good-fellows,  Art.  6, 
Sec.  1 ;  Constitution  of  Improved  Order  of  Red 
Men,  Art.  5,  Sec.  1 ;  Constitution  of  United  Ancient 
Order  of  Druids,  Art.  8,  Sec.  1.) 

4.  Not  only  are  these  associations  exclusive  and 
selfish  in  regard  to  receiving  members ;  not  only  do 
they  utterly  refuse  to  admit  a  man,  however  good, 
and  wise,  and  patriotic  he  may  be,  in  case  he  is 
diseased  or  infirm,  or  is  disabled  by  wounds  in  the 
service  of  his  country,  and  is  too  poor  and  feeble 
to  maintain  himself  and  his  family ;  not  only  do 
they  exclude  all  such  persons  from  membership 
and  from  the  boasted  privileges,  and  honors,  and 
pecuniary  benefits  pertaining  thereto,  but  also  their 
regulations  in  regard  to  their  internal  affairs  man 
ifest  an  unchristian,  anti-republican,  exclusive,  self 
ish  spirit.  For  instance,  Masons  will  not,  and, 
indeed,  according  to  thair  regulations,  can  not,  be 
stow  funeral  honors  upon  deceased  members  who 
had  not  advanced  to  the  third  degree.  Those  of 
the  first  and  second  degree  can  not  thus  be  hon 
ored.  They  are  not  entitled  to  funeral  obsequies, 
nor  are  they  allowed  to  attend  a  Masonic  funeral 
procession.  (Webb's  Monitor,  pp.  132-133.) 

Again :  Though  Masonry  makes  professions  of 
universal  benevolence  on  the  ground  "  that  the  ra- 


THEIR   EXCLUSIVENESS. 


diant  arch  of  Masonry  spans  the  whole  habitable 
globe;"  though  it  declares  that  every  true  and  wor 
thy  brother  of  the  order,  no  matter  what  be  his 
language,  country,  religion,  creed,  opinions,  politics, 
or  condition,  is  a  legitimate  object  for  the  exercise 
of  benevolence,  (Masonic  Constitutions,  by  Grand 
Lodge  of  Ohio,  p.  80);  still  it  is  declared  that 
"  Master  Masons  only  ftre  entitled  to  Masonic 
burial  or  relief  from  the  charity  fund."  (Masonic 
Constitutions  by  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio,  p.  39.) 
The  rulers  of  Masons  can  not  be  chosen  from  the 
members  of  the  first  or  second  degree.  It  is  thus 
seen  that  the  first  two  degrees  serve  as  a  sort  of 
substratum  on  which  the  other  degrees  rest,  and 
the  "honors  and  benefits"  are  not  intended  for 
persons  of  the  former. 

The  exclusiveness  and  selfishness  of  other  secret 
associations  are  also  apparent  from  their  regula 
tions.  As  shown  above,  they  exclude  all  diseased 
and  infirm  persons  from  membership,  and  of  course 
from  all  the  "  benefits."  They  generally  provide 
that,  in  case  of  sickness  or  disability,  a  member 
shall  receive  three  dollars  per  week,  and  in  case  of 
the  death  of  a  member,  the  sum  of  thirty  dollars 
shall  be  contributed  toward  defraying  his  funeral 
expenses.  But  all  the  associations  making  such 
regulations  also  provide  that  a  member  who  is  in 
4 


50  SECRET  SOCIETIES. 


"  arrears  for  dues  "  shall  receive  no  aid  in  case  of 
sickness  or  disability ;  and  in  case  of  the  death  of  a 
member  who  is  "  in  arrears  for  dues"  nothing  shall 
be  contributed  to  defray  his  funeral  expenses,  and 
his  wife  and  children,  however  destitute  they  may 
be,  can  receive  no  aid.  In  such  cases,  the  destitute 
widow  and  orphans  must  not  look  to  "  the  charita 
ble  association "  of  which  the  departed  husband 
and  father  was  a  member,  but  to  outsiders — yes,  to 
"  prejudiced  and  ignorant"  outsiders — for  aid  to 
bury  his  dead  body  with  decency.  Grosch  says, 
"  The  philosopher's  stone  is  found  by  the  Odd 
fellow  in  three  words,  Pay  in  advance.  There  are 
few  old  members  of  the  order  who  can  not  relate 
some  case  of  peculiar  hardship  caused  by  non 
payment  of  dues.  Some  good  but  careless  brother, 
who  neglected  this  small  item  of  duty  until  he  was 
suddenly  called  out  of  this  life,  was  found  to  be 
not  beneficial,  and  his  widow  and  orphans,  when 
most  in  need,  were  left  destitute  of  all  legal  claims 
on  the  funds  he  had  for  years  been  aiding  to  accu- 
*mulate."  (Monitor,  p.  198,  199.)  Such  facts  as 
these  prove  secret  associations  to  be  exclusive, 
heartless,  selfish  concerns.  (See  Constitution  of 
Druids,  Art.  2,  Sec.  1,  and  By-laws,  Art.  11,  Sec.  1 ; 
Constitution  of  Good-fellows,  Art.  16,  Sec.  1 ;  Con 
stitution  of  Amer.  Prot.  Asso.,  Art.  9,  Sec.  1-5.) 


FALSE    CLAIMS.  51 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FALSE     CLAIMS. 

1.  ANOTHER  very  serious  objection  to  secret  so 
cieties  is  that  they  set  up  false  claims.  No  doubt 
a  secret  association  may  exist  without  doing  so,  but 
the  setting  up  of  false  claims  is  the  legitimate  re 
sult  and  the  usual  accompaniment  of  secrecy.  The 
object  of  secrecy  is  deception.  When  a  man  en 
deavors  to  conceal  his  business  affairs,  it  is  with 
the  design  of  taking  advantage  of  the  ignorance  of 
others.  Napoleon  once  remarked,  "  The  secret  of 
majesty  is  mystery."  This  keen  observer  knew 
that  the  false  claims  of  royalty  would  become  con 
temptible  but  for  the  deception  which  kings  and 
queens  practice  on  mankind.  We  have  quoted  above 
from  a  book,  the  reliability  of  which  will  not  be 
called  in  question,  to  show  that  the  design  of  se 
crecy,  on  the  part  of  Masons,  is  to  take  advantage 
of  "a  weakness  in  human  nature,"  and  to  invest 
with  a  charm  things  which,  if  generally  known, 
"  would  sink  into  disregard."  So,  also,  "  the  aid  of 
the  mysterious"  is  resorted  to  by  Odd-fellows  to 


52  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


render  their  "meetings  attractive,"  and  to  "stim 
ulate  applications  for  membership."  (Proceedings  of 
Grand  Lodge,  1859,  App.,  p.  10.)  It  will  scarcely 
be  disputed  that  such  is  the  design  of  the  conceal 
ment  practiced  by  secret  associations  in  general.  It 
is  thus  shown  that  secrecy  is  the  result  of  an  un 
willingness  to  rely  upon  real  merit  and  the  sober 
judgment  of  mankind  for  success,  and  of  a  desire, 
on  the  part  of  associations  practicing  it,  to  pass  for 
what  they  are  not.  Hence,  the  design  of  secrecy 
involves  hypocrisy,  or  something  very  much  like  it. 
2.  But,  whatever  may  be  the  design  of  secrecy, 
secret  associations  do  set  up  false  claims.  They 
all,  or  almost  all,  claim  to  be  charitable  institu 
tions.  This  is  the  frequent  boast  of  Masons  and 
Odd-fellows.  Moore,  in  his  "  Constitutions,"  de 
clares  that  "  charity  and  hospitality  are  the  distin 
guishing  characteristics "  of  Masonry.  (P.  71.) 
In  the  charge  to  a  "  Master  Mason,"  at  his  initia 
tion,  it  is  declared  that  "  Masonic  charity  is  as 
broad  as  the  mantle  of  heaven  and  co-extensive 
with  the  boundaries  of  the  world."  (Masonic  Con 
stitutions,  published  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio, 
p.  80.)  "  The  Right  Worthy  Grand  Representa 
tive,"  Boylston,  in  his  oration  delivered  in  New 
York,  April  26,  1859,  declared  that  Odd-fellowship 
is  "  most  generally  known  and  commended  by  its 


p.rt 

FALSE    CLAIMS.  53 


charities."  (Proceedings  of  Grand  Lodge,  1859, 
App.,  p.  6.)  Such  is  the  style  in  which  secret 
associations  glorify  themselves.  Such  boasting, 
however,  is  not  good.  It  is  contrary  to  the  com 
mand  of  our  Savior  :  "  Therefore,  when  thou  doest 
thine  alms,  do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as 
the  hypocrites  do  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the 
streets,  that  they  may  have  glory  of  men."  The 
boasting  of  secret  associations  about  their  charities 
is  precisely  what  our  Savior  not  only  forbids,  but 
also  declares  to  be  characteristic  of  hypocrites. 
And  such  boasting  is,  indeed,  generally  vain.  When 
a  man  boasts  of  any  thing,  whether  of  his  wealth, 
pedigree,  bravery,  wisdom,  or  honesty,  there  is 
good  reason  to  suspect  that  his  claims  are  not  well 
founded.  Hence,  the  very  boasting  of  secret  asso 
ciations  about  their  benevolence  and  charities  is 
presumptive  evidence  that  their  claims  to  the  rep 
utation  of  being  charitable  institutions  are  hypo 
critical  and  false. 

3.  Iii  the  first  place.  "  the  benefits  "  are  confined 
to  their  own  members.  The  excuse  for  secrecy,  in 
some  instances,  is  that  it  is  necessary  in  order  that 
aid  may  not  be  obtained  by  persons  who  are  not  mem 
bers.  Li  the  "  charge  "  delivered  to  a  Master  Mason 
at  his  initiation,  he  is  enjoined  to  exercise  benev 
olence  toward  "  every  true  and  worthy  brother  of 


54  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


the  Order."  In  Boylston's  address  which  we  have 
already  quoted  from  several  times,  "  the  well-earned 
glory  of  Odd-fellows"  is  declared  to  consist  in  this  : 
that  "  no  worthy  Odd-fellow  has  ever  sought  aid 
and  been  refused."  (Proceedings  of  Grand  Lodge, 
1859,  App.,  p.  9.)  It  is  provided  in  the  Constitu 
tion  of  Odd-fellows,  Grood-fellows,  etc.,  that  aid 
shall  be  given  to  members  under  certain  circum 
stances  ;  but  it  will  be  in  vain  to  search  in  them 
for  any  regulation  providing  for  relief  to  any  but 
members  and  their  families.  The  provision  found 
in  the  constitution  or  by-laws  of  almost  every  se 
cret  association  that  members  "in  arrears  for  dues  " 
shall  not  be  entitled  to  ''benefits,"  plainly  shows 
that  their  vaunted  "charity"  is  restricted  to  their 
own  members.  Tiis  would  not  be  30  bad  were  it 
not  for  the  fact  that  they  carefully  exclude  from 
membership  all  who  need  aid  or  are  likely  to  need 
aid.  The  Masons,  according  to  their  Constitutions, 
must  not  receive  as  a  member  any  man  who  is  not 
"  physically  perfect."  Thv  constitutions  of  other 
secret  orders  exclude  all  who  arc  diseased  or  infirm 
in  body,  or  who  have  no  means  of  support.  They 
exclude  the  blind,  the  lame,  the  maimed,  the  dis 
eased,  the  destitute,  the  widow  and  the  orphan,  and 
all  who  are  wretchedly  poor  or  can  not  support 
themselves,  and  they  cut  off  all  such  persons,  to- 


FALSE    CLAIMS.  55 


gether  with  their  own  members  who  "  are  in  ar 
rears,"  from  the  "  benefits."  Yet  they  talk  about  the 
universal  brotherhood  of  men,  and  claim  for  them 
selves  the  possession  of  universal  benevolence ! 

4.  Still  further :  The  relief  afforded  to  members 
is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  charity.  The  amount 
granted  in  all  cases  is  the  same.  The  constitutions 
of  mosf  secret  associations  that  give  aid  to  mem 
bers  provide  that  three  dollars  a  week  shall  be 
given  in  case  of  sickness,  and  thirty  dollars  in  case 
of  death.  The  amount  given  does  not  correspond 
to  the  condition  of  the  recipient.  The  rich  and 
the  poor  fare  alike.  The  member  ;i  in  arrears  "  is  not 
entitled  to  any  aid.  It  is  only  the  worthy  brother 
who  is  entitled  to  aid,  and  in  order  to  be  a  worthy 
brother  a  member  must  punctually  pay  his  "  dues." 
Hence,  the  amount  bestowed  in  case  of  the  sick 
ness  or  death  of  a  member  is  to  be  regarded  as  a 
debt.  The  "Druids,"  in  their  Constitution,  ex 
pressly  declare  that  the  aid  given  to  sick  members 
is  not  to  be  regarded  in  any  other  light  than  as 
the  payment  of  a  debt.  "  All  money  paid  by  the 
grove  for  the  relief  of  sick  members  shall  not  be 
considered  as  charity,  but  as  the  just  due  of  the 
sick."  (Art.  2,  Sec.  7.)  Boylston,  in  his  oration, 
though  boasting  of  the  "  charities  "  of  Odd-fellow 
ship,  declares  that  they  do  not  wound  or  insult  the 


56  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


pride  of  the  receiver,  for  the  reason  "  that  the  re 
lief  extended  is  not  of  grace,  but  of  right."  (Pro 
ceedings  of  Grand  Lodge,  1859,  Appendix,  p.  6.) 
Grosch,  in  his  Odd-fellows'  Manual,  in  justifying 
equality  in  dues  and  in  benefits,  says :  "  He  who 
did  not  pay  an  equivalent  would  feel  degraded  at 
receiving  benefits — would  feel  that  they  were  not 
his  just  due,  but  alms."  (P.  66.)  It  is,  hence,  seen 
that  the  aid  bestowed  by  secret  societies  is  no  more 
a  gift  of  charity  than  the  dividends  of  a  bank  or  of 
a  railroad  company.  The  stockholders  are  entitled 
to  their  share  of  the  profits ;  so  members  of  secret 
societies  are  entitled  to  a  certain  share  of  the  funds 
to  which  they  have  contributed.  We  say  nothing 
for  or  against  the  propriety  of  this  arrangement,  in 
itself  considered.  Persons  have,  perhaps,  a  right 
to  form  themselves  into  a  mutual  insurance  com 
pany,  to  bargain  with  one  another  that  they  will 
aid  each  other  in  case  of  sickness  or  want ;  that  in 
case  of  the  death  of  any  of  the  members,  their  fam 
ilies  shall  be  provided  for  by  the  surviving  mem 
bers  ;  that  only  the  members  who  continue  to  pay 
into  the  common  fund  a  certain  sum  monthly  or 
quarterly  shall  receive  such  aid ;  that  no  money 
shall  be  paid  out  of  the  common  fund  for  the  ben 
efit  of  any  who  are  not  members,  or  of  their  fam 
ilies  ;  and  that  all  diseased  and  infirm  persons,  and 


FALSE    CLAIMS.  57 


very  poor  people,  such  as  "have  no  visible  means 
of  support,"  and  are  likely  to  need  pecuniary  aid, 
shall  be  excluded  from  the  company  and  from  its 
benefits.  Perhaps  men  have  a  right  to  form  them 
selves  into  an  association  with  such  regulations ; 
perhaps  they  have  a  right  to  leave  u  an  unworthy 
brother"  (a  member  who  fails  to  pay  his  "  quarterly 
dues")  and  his  family  to  the  charities  of  "  ignorant 
and  prejudiced  "  people  who  will  not  join  secret  so 
cieties  ;  and  in  case  of  the  death  of  such  a  member, 
to  leave  his  poor  heart-broken  widow  to  beg  of  the 
same  "  ignorant  and  prejudiced  "  outsiders  enough 
of  money  to  bury  his  dead  body  decently ;  Lut  they 
have  no  right  to  call  themselves  a  charitable  associa 
tion.  It  is  probable  that  many  Masons,  Odd-fellows, 
Good-fellows,  etc.,  are  kind  to  "  unworthy  breth 
ren,"  and  to  the  poor  in  general ;  but  if  so,  they 
are  better  than  the  associations  of  which  they  are 
members.  Bankers  and  money-brokers,  no  doubt, 
sometimes  show  kindness  to  the  poor,  but  it  does 
not  hence  follow  that  banks  and  money-shaving 
establishments  are  charitable  institutions.  Neither 
does  it  follow  that  secret  societies  are  charitable 
because  their  members,  in  case  of  sickness  or  death, 
are  entitled  to  a  certain  portion  of  the  funds  which 
they  themselves  have  contributed  as  initiation  fees 
and  quarterly  dues,  while  those  who  are  in  real 


58  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


want  can  not  even  become  members.  What  charity 
is  there  in  persons  pledging  themselves  to  aid  each 
other  in  sickness  or  other  misfortune,  and  .to  let 
widows  and  orphans,  the  lame  and  the  diseased, 
and  the  wretchedly  poor,  perish  with  hunger  and 
cold  ?  It  may  not  be  improper  for  A,  B,  and  C  to 
promise  that  they  will  take  care  of  each  other  in 
•sickness,  and  that  in  case  of  the  death  of  one  of 
them  his  dead  body  shall  be  buried  by  the  sur 
vivors.  It  may,  also,  not  be  improper  for  a  man 
to  get  his  life  or  his  property  insured.  Insurance 
companies  have  done  much  good.  Many  a  man  has 
been  saved  from  pecuniary  ruin  by  getting  his 
property  insured,  and  many  a  man  has  secured  a 
competence  for  his  wife  and  children  by  getting  his 
life  insured.  Individuals  and  families  have  prob 
ably  been  oftener  saved  from  worldly  ruin  by  in 
surance  companies  than  by  secret  societies.  The 
association  of  A,  B,  and  C  may  do  some  good. 
They  have  a  right  to  agree  to  aid  one  another. 
They  may,  perhaps,  have  a  right  to  say  that  D,  E, 
and  F,  who  are  very  poor,  or  are  enfeebled  by  dis 
ease,  shall  not  join  them,  and  shall  not  be  aided 
by  them ;  but  they  have  no  right  to  represent  their 
exclusive,  selfish  association  as  a  charitable  one. 
Such  a  representation  would  be  false,  and  the  wick 
edness  of  making  it  wholly  inexcusable.  We  do 


FALSE    CLAIMS. 


59 


not  blame  Odd-fellows,  Good-fellows,  Druids,  or  any 
other  association  for  acting  as  mutual  insurance 
companies.  We  do  not  blame  them  for  agreeing 
that  they  will  take  care  of  each  other  or  of  each 
other's  families.  We  are  not  now  blaming  them 
for  excluding  from  their  associations  and  from  "  the 
benefits  "  disbursed  by  them,  the  blind,  the  lame, 
the  diseased,  and  the  very  poor  who  have  no  means 
of  support,  though  this  feature  of  such  associations 
does  seem  very  repulsive.  We  are  not  now  con 
demning  them  for  casting  off  all  those  who  do  not 
pay  their  "  dues,"  those  who  become  very  poor  and 
can  not  as  well  as  the  rich  who  will  not,  and  for 
cutting  off  all  such  persons  from  all  "  benefits  of 
whatsoever  kind,"  though  such  treatment  does  seem 
to  us  selfish,  cruel,  and  mean ;  we  do  not  now  ar 
raign  them  for  any  of  these  things,  however  un 
generous,  exclusive,  and  selfish  they  appear  to  us, 
but  we  do  say  that  any  association  which  thus 
practices,  and  professes,  and  calls  itself  a  charitable 
one  is  a  cheat  and  a  sham.  Those  secret  societies 
which  glorify  themselves  on  account  of  their  char 
ities  and  universal  brotherhood  and  benevolence, 
can  be  acquitted  of  willful  deceit  and  falsehood 
only  on  the  ground  that  they  are  blinded  by  preju 
dice  or  ignorance,  or  both. 

The  pretentious  character  of  secret  associations 


60  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


appears,  also,  in  their  claims  to  be  the  possessors 
and  disseminators  of  knowledge  and  morality.  Their 
members  seem  to  think  a  man  can  scarcely  be  good 
and  intelligent  without  being  "initiated."  "Webb 
delares  "  Masonry  is  a  progressive  science.  *  *  Ma 
sonry  includes  within  its  circle  almost  every  branch 
of  polite  learning."  (Monitor,  p.  53.)  'Masonry  is 
not  only  the  most  ancient,  but  the  most  moral  institu 
tion  that  ever  subsisted."  (Monitor,  p.  39.)  Grrosch, 
in  his  Manual,  speaking  of  the  shining  sun  as  an 
emblem,  says:  "So  Odd-fellowship  is  dispersing  the 
mists  from  the  advancing  member's  mind,  and  re 
vealing  things  as  they  are;  so,  also,  it  is  enlighten 
ing  the  world,"  etc.  (Manual,  p.  120.)  The  ex 
travagance  and  absurdity  of  these  claims  must  be 
evident  to  every  prejudicial  mind.  It  may  be  said, 
indeed,  the  above  declarations  express  the  opinions 
only  of  individuals,  and  that  associations  can  not 
justly  be  charged  with  the  errors  of  their  mem 
bers.  We  maintain,  however,  that  secret  societies 
are  responsible  for  the  vain  boasting  of  their  mem 
bers.  They  claim  that  their  members  are  a  chosen 
board,  a  select  few,  who,  by  virtue  of  their  associa 
tion,  are  superior  to  the  rest  of  mankind.  Their  pro 
cessions  and  parades,  their  regalia  and  emblems,  and 
their  high-sounding  titles  are  evidently  designed  to 
impress  the  minds  of  their  own  members  and  of  out- 


FALSE   CLAIMS.  61 


siders  with  ideas  of  their  excellence  and  grandeur. 
Their  high-sounding  titles  have  already  been  ad 
verted  to  as  involving  the  sin  of  profaneness ;  but 
they  serve  equally  well  to  illustrate  the  pretentious 
character  of  the  associations  which  employ  them. 
Almost  every  officer  among  the  Masons  has  some 
great  title.  There  is  the  Grand  Tyler,  Grand  Stew 
ard,  Grand'Treasurer,  Grand  Secretary,  Grand  Chap 
lain,  and  Grand  Master.  The  Lodge  itself  is  grand, 
and,  of  course,  every  thing  and  every  body  connected 
with  it  are  grand.  The  treasurer,  though  his  duty 
be  merely  to  count  and  hold  a  little  vile  trash  called 
money,  is  grand;  almost  every  officer  is  a  grand 
man. 

These  titles,  however,  do  not  give  an  adequate 
idea  of  the  grandeur  to  which  "sublime"  Ma 
sonry  ascends.  They  have  their  Eight  Worship 
ful  Deputy  Grand  Master,  their  Right  Worshipful 
Grand  Treaurer,  Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master, 
Most  Eminent  Grand  Commander,  Thrice  Illus 
trious  Grand  Puissant,  Most  Excellent  Grand  High 
Priest,  etc.  (Consstitution  of  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio, 
Art.  5.,  Webb's  Monitor,  pp.  187,  219,  284.)  Other 
associations  employ  similar  titles;  indeed,  Masonry, 
as  the  oldest  association,  seems  to  have  been  copied 
after  by  the  rest.  The  Odd-fellows  have  almost 
the  same  parades,  shows,  and  titles  as  the  Masons, 


62  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


They  have  their  aprons,  ribbons,  rosettes,  and 
drawn  swords;  and  they  endeavor,  by  these  and 
other  clap-trap  means,  to  recommend  their  associa 
tion  as  a  grand  affair.  They,  too,  have  their  Right 
Worthy  Grand  Lodge,  Most  Worthy  Grand  Master, 
Right  Worthy  Grand  Secretary,  Right  Worthy 
Grand  Treasurer,  Right  Worthy  Grand  Chap 
lain,  etc. 

We  think  it  strange  that  men  of  sense  should 
employ  such  titles.  They  would  be  ridiculous  even 
applied  to  the  greatest  and  best  man  that  ever 
lived.  They  are  more  ridiculous  than  the  bombas 
tic  titles  given  to  civil  officers  in  barbarous  coun 
tries.  The  Sublime  Porte  of  Turkey  is  outdone  in 
this  respect  by  secret  associations  in  the  United 
States. 

6.  The  absurdity  of  these  high-sounding  titles 
and  other  puerilities  is  further  seen  from  the  char 
acter  of  those  who  compose  the  associations  which 
employ  them.  They  boast  that  they  receive  as 
members  almost  all  sorts  of  men  except  atheists; 
that  men  of  every  religious  sect  and  every  nation 
meet  in  their  lodges  as  loving  brethren,  and  on  a 
perfect  equality;  that  they  welcome  the  Jew,  the 
Arab,  the  Chinaman,  the  American  savage,  the  in 
fidel,  and  the  Christian,  provided  they  be  sound  in 
body  and  be  able  to  support  themselves ;  yet  the 


FALSE   CLAIMS.  63 


officers  elected  by  the  lodges  or  squads  of  such 
persons,  Jews,  Arabs,  Chinamen,  savages,  infidels 
and  Christians,  become  Most  Eminent  Grand  Com 
manders,  Thrice  Illustrious  Puissants,  etc.  Yea, 
since  brotherhood  and  equality  characterize  these 
associations,  the  Jew,  the  Arab,  the  Chinaman,  and 
the  infidel  are  eligible  to  any  office,  and  may  be 
come  Most  Worshipful  Grand  Commanders  and 
Most  Excellent  Grand  High  Priests. 

All  this  is  calculated  to  produce  laughter  and  con 
tempt;  but  such  is  not  the  design.  The  design  of 
those  who  make  use  of  these  grand  titles  and  other 
clap-trap  things  is  to  recommend  their  associations 
as  an  excellent  and  grand  affair.  The  design  itself, 
and  the  means  employed  for  its  accomplishment, 
must,  certainly,  be  condemned  by  every  unpreju 
diced  Christain  mind. 

CONCLUSION. 

WE  have  thus  briefly  stated  the  objectionable 
features  of  what  are  generally  called  secret  so 
cieties.  It  is  mainly  to  their  secrecy,  oaths,  and 
promises,  their  profanation  of  holy  things,  their  ex- 
clusiveness  and  their  setting  up  of  false  claims,  to 
which  we  object.  These  are  the  things  objected  to 
in  the  foregoing  treatise.  We  have  written  with 
out  any  feeling  of  unkindness,  and  we  trust,  also, 


64  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


without   prejudice.     We  had  intended  to  urge  ad 
ditional  considerations  to  show  the  evil  nature  and 
tendency  of  secret  societies;  but  we  have  been  re 
strained  by  the  fear  of  swelling  our  treatise  beyond 
a  proper  size. 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS  JOIN  SEOEET 
SOCIETIES  ? 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS  JOIN   SECRET 
SOCIETIES? 


"  WITH  charity  for  all  and  with  malice  toward 
none,"  we  bring  this  question  to  all  those  who 
would  serve  Christ.  We  mean  by  "  secret  socie 
ties"  not  literary,  scientific,  or  college  associations, 
which  merely  use  privacy  as  a  screen  against  intru 
sion,  but  those  affiliated  and  centralized  "  orders  " 
spreading  over  the  land,  professing  mysteries,  prac 
ticing  secret  rites,  binding  by  oaths,  admitting  by 
signs  and  pass-words,  solemnly  pledging  their  mem 
bers  to  mutual  protection,  and  commonly  con 
structed  in  "  degrees,"  each  higher  one  imposing 
fresh  fees,  oaths,  and  obligations,  and  swearing  the 
initiated  to  secrecy  even  from  lower  "  degrees  "  in 
the  same  Order. 

Shall  Christians  join  societies  of  this  kind? 

SUPPOSING  IT  TO  BE  INNOCENT,  WILL  IT  PAY  ? 

First.  They  consume  time  and  money.  Have 
you  considered  how  much?  How  many  evenings, 
and  whole  nights,  and  parts  of  days  ?  How  many 

(67) 


68  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


dollars  in  fees,  dues,  fines,  expenses,  and  diminished 
proceeds  from  broken  days?  Will  it  pay?  Can 
you  not  lay  out  this  amount  of  time  and  money 
more  profitably? — a  plain  man's  question.  They 
propose  helping  you  to  " friends,"  "business,"  in 
"moral  reform,"  in  "sickness,  death,  and  bereave 
ment;  "  but  can  you  not  get  as  much  of  such  good 
in  ways  pointed  out  to  you  by  Christ,  your  best 
and  wisest  friend? — ways  which  will  yield  you 
more  of  personal  cultivation,  spiritual  good,  earthly 
profit,  social  and  domestic  happiness,  and  openings 
for  usefulness.  If  so,  these  orders  are  unprofit 
able,  and  will  not  pay. 

Secondly.  They  furnish  inferior  security  for  in 
vestments.  As  mutual  insurance  societies,  they  are 
irresponsible,  and  more  liable  to  corruption,  just 
because  they  are  secret.  Do  they  make  "  reports  " 
to  the  public  or  the  Legislature?  Do  they  make 
any  adequate  "report"  to  the  mass  even  of  their 
own  members  ?  Millions  and  millions  are  known  to 
have  gone  into  the  treasury  of  a  single  one  of 
these  organizations.  No  dividends  are  declared,  no 
expenditures  published.  Where  is  the  money  ? 
Were  it  not  safer  to  invest  the  same  amount  in 
companies  where  every  proceeding  is  open  to  public 
eye  and  public  judgment?  Would  you  not,  then,  be 
safer  ?  If  so,  it  will  not  pay  to  join  these  orders. 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS  JOIN  SECRET  SOCIETIES?    69 


IS  IT  OBLIGATORY  ? 

First.  Charity  has  no  need  of  them.  They  are 
not  truly  charitable  institutions.  "Mutual  insur 
ance  societies  "  they  may  be,  though  of  an  inferior 
sort,  as  we  have  seen ;  but  that  does  not  elevate 
them  into  charitable  institutions.  To  bestow  on 
your  widow  and  orphans,  your  sickness,  and  funeral 
some  pittance,  or  the  whole  of  what  you  paid  dur 
ing  health  and  life,  is  not  benevolence. 

But,  further,  it  is  well  to  ask,  in  determining  how 
greatly  charity  depends  on  them,  how  broadly  they 
go  forth  among  the  poor  outside  their  membership. 
During  the  anti-masonic  excitement  of  1826-1830 
some  two  thousand  lodges  suspended.  The  result 
ant  suffering  was  less,  perhaps,  than  what  would  fol 
low  the  suspension  of  a  single  soup  association,  any 
winter,  in  some  city.  Blot  out  the  whole,  and  how 
small  the  injury  to  the  charities  of  the  country ! 

The  Church  of  Christ  is  commanded  to  "  do  good 
unto  all  men" — "to  remember  the  poor."  It  is 
engaged  in  this  work.  It  blows  no  trumpet — it 
does  not  parade  its  charities ;  but  it  shrinks  from 
comparison  with  no  one  of  these  orders,  nor  with 
all  of  them  combined.  Christians  need  not  to  go 
into  them  to  preserve  charity  alive,  or  to  find  the 
best  ways  of  exercising  their  own. 

Secondly.    Morality    does   not   depend    on   them. 


70  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


We  need  say  nothing  of  "  what  is  done  of  them  in 
secret."  But,  looking  at  what  is  open  to  all,  we 
ask,  What  work  are  they  doing  worthy  of  so  much 
organization,  and  expense,  and  time  to  reclaim  the 
fallen,  to  banish  vice,  and  to  save  its  victim  ?  We 
have  heard  them  refusing  him  admission  or  cutting 
him  off,  but  we  have  not  heard  of  any  consider 
able  aid  which  they  have  given  to  public  or  private 
morality.  And,  further,  do  we  not  find  them  nar 
rowing  the  circle  of  obligation,  substituting  attach 
ment  and  duty  to  an  order  for  love  and  obligations 
to  mankind  ?  Membership  in  a  lodge,  not  character, 
is  held  to  make  one  "  worthy,"  opening  the  way  to 
favor  and  society.  But  can  all  this  be  done  with 
out  sensibly  weakening  the  fundamental  supports  of 
morality,  without  lessening  its  broad  requirements  ? 
Thirdly.  Patriotism  has  no  need  of  them.  They 
tend  to  destroy  citizenship,  to  exalt  love  of  an  order 
above  the  love  of  country.  The  boast  during  the 
late  rebellion  was  sometimes  heard  that  their  mem 
bers,  owing  to  the  oaths  of  mutual  protection,  were 
safer  among  the  rebels  than  other  captives.  Was 
the  converse  true  ?  Were  rebels,  being  Freemasons, 
safe  or  safer  against  restraint  and  due  punishment 
when  falling  captive  to  those  of  their  order  ?  How 
far  does  all  this  extend  ?  To  courts  and  suits  at  law? 
Are  criminals  as  safe  or  safer  before  judge  and 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS  JOIN  SECRET    SOCIETIES?     71 


jury  of  their  order  ?  Have  rebellion  and  vice  found 
greater  security  here  ?  This  boast  is  confession — 
confession  that  the  ties  of  an  order  are  stronger  and 
more  felt  than  is  consistent  with  a  proper  love  of 
country.  Is  justice  thus  to  be  imperiled?  Are  se 
curities  of  property  and  rights  thus  to  be  imperiled? 
Must  we  beggar  ourselves  by  paying  fees  and  dues 
to  one  another  of  these  orders,  now  becoming  more 
plentiful  every  decade,  to  make  sure  of  standing  on 
equal  footing  and  impartiality  with  others,  in  the 
courts  and  elsewhere,  and  imagine  that  all  this  is 
helpful  to  patriotism  or  even  consistent  with  it  ? 

Fourthly.  Religion  has  no  need  of  them.  "  The 
church  is  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth." 
"  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it." 
The  preaching  of  Christ  and  him  crucified  is  and 
must  continue  to  be  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the 
power  of  Grod  unto  salvation.  Religion,  then,  has 
no  need  of  these  secret  orders. 

We  come  now  to  this :  Neither  charity,  morality, 
patriotism,  nor  religion  imposes  obligations  on  us 
to  join  them.  It  will  not  pay  was  our  first  fact. 
We  have  now  reached  this  other,  that  no  considera 
tion  of  duty  requires  it.  But, 

IS  IT  RIGHT? 

First.  Christ,  our  Master,  neither  instituted  nor 
countenanced  these  orders. 


72  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


Heviewing  his  whole  earthly  ministry,  he  said 
(John  xviii:.20):  "I  spake  openly  to  the  world;" 
and  "in  secret  have  I  said  nothing."  By  this 
double  affirmation  he  strongly  suggested  his  prefer 
ence  for  open,  unsecret  ways  and  proceedings. 

Secondly.  In  those  rites,  proceedings,  and  regalia 
which  do  appear,  these  orders  are  frivolous,  belit 
tling,  and  unworthy  of  respect.  If  the  revealed 
are  such,  what  must  the  unrevealed  be  ? 

Thirdly.  These  orders  stand  convicted  of  deceit 
and  falsehood.  They  profess  secrets  and  mysteries 
worth  buying.  Hundreds  of  high-minded  men,  of 
irreproachable  character  and  integrity,  who  have, 
therefore,  "  renounced  these  hidden  things  of  dis 
honesty,"  testify  over  their  own  signatures,  that 
their  secrets  are  but  signs,  pass-words,  ceremonies, 
etc.,  covering  nothing  but  emptiness  and  vanity. 

Fourthly.  These  orders  are  unfriendly  to  domestic 
happiness  and  well-being,  breaking  in  upon  the  sacred 
confidence  and  unity  of  husband  and  wife,  pledging 
him  to  conceal  from  her  thu  proceedings  of  perhaps 
fifty  nights  yearly,  thus  often  sowing  seeds  of  dis 
trust,  filling  his  breast  with  what  must  not  be  di 
vulged  to  her,  involving  him  in  affairs  and  habits 
not  unfrequently  injurious  to  the  best  interests  and 
state  of  the  family. 

Fifthly.    These  orders  are  hostile  to  the  heavenly- 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS   JOIN  SECRET    SOCIETIES?  73 


mindedness,  the  spirituality  of  those  who  join  them. 
We  speak  from  much  testimony.  "  Let  him  that 
thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed."  The  prudent  man 
foreseeth  the  evil,  but  the  foolish  pass  on  and  are 
punished.  This  voice  of  one  is  that  of  many  con 
curring  wise,  faithful,  and  godly  men,  viz.:  "I  am 
afraid  of  these  secret  societies ;  they  have  sucked 
the  spirituality  out  of  all  the  members  in  our  church 
who  have  joined  them."  Young,  promising  Chris 
tians  have  often  been  blighted  by  them.  The  fer 
vor  of  piety,  interest  in  the  church  and  its  work, 
interest  in  Christ  and  his  people,  interest  in  God's 
Word  and  Spirit,  all  the  various  elements  of  an 
earnest  life  of  faith  and  heavenly-niindedness  have 
been  blighted  in  these  lodges.  And  in  urging  this, 
we  appeal  to  so  many  witnesses,  and  cover  so  wide  a 
field  of  observation,  as  to  make  it  certain  that  this 
is  not  the  exceptional  but  the  ordinary  result. 

Sixthly.  These  orders  tend  to  destroy  Christian 
fellowship.  Let  them  grow  until  a  given  church  is 
broken  into  squads,  each  pledged  to  secrets  from 
the  other,  but  bound  within  itself  by  special  ties  ; 
give  to  each  its  own  weekly  meeting,  mysteries, 
rites,  signs,  grips,  pass-words ;  let  each  be  sworn  to 
provide  for,  protect,  shield,  and  love  its  own  adher 
ents  above  others,  and  is  not  "  church  fellowship  " 
annihilated?  Can  the  Spirit  of  Christ  flow  freely 


74  SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


from  member  to  member  through  such  partitions? 
Is  this  "  one  body  in  Christ,  and  every  one  mem 
bers  one  of  another?" 

Seventhly.  These  orders  tend  to  subject  the  church 
to  "the  world"  in  some  of  its  dearest  interests.  For 
example :  When  a  few  leading  members  join  a 
neighboring  lodge,  and  make  vows  to  the  "strange" 
brotherhood,  how  easy  for  that  lodge  to  interfere 
secretly  but  controllingly  in  its  discipline  of  mem 
bers,  or  in  its  selection  or  dismission  of  a  pastor ! 
These  suggestions  are  not  merely  imaginary.  Sub 
jection  of  the  church,  in  this  way,  to  the  cunning 
craftiness  of  evil  and  designing  men  is  no  mere  dream. 

Eighthly.  These  orders  dishonor  Christ.  Those 
claims  which  he  makes  for  himself  are  disallowed. 
He  is  required  to  disappear  or  find  a  place  amidst 
other  objects  for  worship.  There  is  a  necessity,  be 
cause  these  orders  are  designed  for  adherents  of  all 
religions.  Were  they  on  the  footing  of  an  insur 
ance  company  or  a  merchants'  exchange,  or  any 
similar  body,  this  fact  would  not  be  so.  But  they 
profess  to  include  religion  among  their  elements, 
and  its  services,  in  whole  or  in  part,  among  their 
ceremonies.  They  have  prayers  and  solemn  relig 
ious  rites.  And  in  these  Christ  is  dishonored.  His 
exclusive  claims  are  disallowed  or  ignored,  and  this 
not  by  accident,  but  of  set  purpose.  Out  of  twenty- 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS  JOIN  SECRET  SOCIETIES?    75 


three  forms  of  prayer  in  the  "  New  Masonic  Trestle- 
Board,"  (Boston  edition,  1850,)  only  one  even  al 
ludes  to  him,  and  that  one  in  a  non-committal  way. 
These  secret  orders  are  under  bonds  not  to  honor 
Christ  as  he  claims,  lest  the  Jew,  or  the  Deist,  or 
the  Mohammedan,  all  of  whom  they  seek  to  enroll 
in  equal  membership,  should  be  offended.  When 
the  higher  "  degrees  "  of  Masonry  allude  to  Christ 
and  Christianity,  it  is  but  as  one  amidst  many 
equals.  We  repeat  it :  Did  these  orders  stand  on  the 
same  footing  with  mercantile  or  other  bodies  in  this 
matter,  this  objection  might  go  for  nothing;  but 
they  do  not.  Unlike  them,  they  profess  to  have 
religious  services.  Indeed,  they  often  boast  of  their 
religiousness,  and  avow  their  full  equality  in  this 
with  the  church  of  God  itself!  Yet,  if  you  join 
them,  their  "  constitutions  "  prohibit  you  acknowl 
edging,  in  their  boasted  religious  services,  what 
Christ,  your  Lord,  not  only  claims  for  himself,  but 
commands  you  to  give  unto  him :  that  glory  which 
is  due  to  his  holy  name.  Are  they,  then,  not  Anti 
christ,  in  this  thing  ?  And  can  you,  without  sin, 
consent  to  it,  or  uphold  institutions  which  forbid 
you  and  others,  in  religious  services,  to  honor  him 
as  your  God  and  Savior,  and  which  thus  place  him 
on  the  same  level  with  Zoroaster,  Confucius,  or 
Mohammed  ? 


76  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


Ninthly.  These  orders — the  things  now  alleged  be 
ing  true — impede  the  cause  and  kingdom  of  God,  and 
are,  therefore,  hostile  to  the  largest,  best,  and  deepest 
interests  of  mankind.  Recognizing  this,  churches, 
conferences,  associations,  -  synods,  and  many  emi 
nently  godly  men,  living  and  dead,  have  put  forth 
their  solemn  testimony  against  them.  Great  law 
yers,  like  Samuel  Dexter;  great  patriots  and  states 
men,  like  Adams,  and  Webster,  and  Everett ;  great 
communities,  like  the  American  people  from  1826 
to  1830,  have  united  to  declare  them  not  only 
"  wrong  in  their  very  principles,"  but  "noxious  to 
mankind."  But  many  Christians,  rising  higher  and 
standing  on  "  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy,"  have 
discovered  in  them  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel  and 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  Following  him,  their  great 
exemplar  in  philanthropy  as  in  godliness,  who  did 
nothing  in  secret,  they  refuse  to  have  fellowship 
with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  choosing 
rather  to  reprove  them. 

Shall  Christians  join  secret  societies? 

Will  it  pay?  Are  they  under  obligation  to  do 
so?  Fellow-disciple,  brother  man,  have  you  doubt 
on  these  questions  ?  If  it  will  not  pay ;  if  you  are 
under  no  obligation  to  do  it ;  if  you  have  any 
doubt  of  its  rightfulness,  it  is  most  assuredly  your 
duty  to  refuse  any  connection  with  them. 


SHALL  CHRISTIANS   JOIN   SECRET  SOCIETIES?    77 


We  have  no  wish  to  press  our  reasoning  beyond 
just  limits.  We  have  sought  to  avoid  extreme 
statements.  We  now  ask  you  whether,  in  the  light 
of  what  has  been  brought  to  view,  the  weight  of 
argument  is  not  against  your  joining  these  orders 
and  lending  them  aid  ?  Even  should  you  be  able  to 
stand  up  against  their  tendency  to  lower  your  per 
sonal  piety  and  injure  your  Christian  character,  have 
we  not  here  one  of  those  cases  where  many  broth 
ers  are  offended  or  made  weak?  The  Lord  Jesus 
has  said,  "  Whoso  offends  one  of  these  little  [or 
weak]  ones,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill-stone 
were  hanged  about  his  neck  and  he  were  drowned 
in  the  depths  of  the  sea."  Will  you,  then,  how 
ever  safe  yourself,  be  the  means,  by  your  example, 
of  bringing  weaker  brethren  into  such  dangers? 
"  We,  then,  that  are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  bur 
dens  of  the  weak,  and  not  please  ourselves."  "  It 
is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh,  nor  to  drink  wine,  nor 
to  do  any  thing  whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth  or  is 
offended  [caused  to  sin]  or  is  made  weak."  These 
words  are  not  ours ;  they  are  Grod's. 

Christian  disciple,  decide  this  question  of  secret 
societies  with  candor,  with  solemn  prayer,  and  with 
a  purpose  to  please  God. 


A  PAPER  ADOPTED  BY 

THE  GENERAL  ASSOCIATION  OF 

ILLINOIS. 


SECRET  SOCIETIES. 


A  PAPER  ADOPTED  BY  THE  GENERAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  ILLINOIS  OF  THE 
CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCHES,  AT  THEIR  MEETING  IN  OTTAWA,  1866. 


THE  topics  committed  to  us  involve  the  follow 
ing  points : 

1.  The  moral  character  of  secrecy.     Is  it  an  ele 
ment  of  an  invariable  moral  character?  and,  if  so, 
what  ?  and,  if  not,  what  are  the  decisive  criteria  of 
its  character? 

2.  Associations  or  combinations  involving  secrecy. 
Are  they  of  necessity  right  or  wrong  ?    If  not,  what 
are  the  decisive  criteria? 

3.  Religious    rites  and   worship  in   societies    or 
organizations,  open  or  secret.     Are  any  kind  allow 
able?  and,  if  so,  what? 

I.  Secrecy.     Its  character. 

A  presumption   against   secrecy  arises  from  the 

known  fact  that  evil-doers   of  all  kinds  resort  to 

secrecy.     This  is   for  two  reasons :    (1.)  To  avoid 

opposition  and  retribution ;   and,  (2,)  to  avoid  ex- 

6  (81) 


82  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


posure  to  disgrace.  The  adulterer  seeks  secrecy ; 
so  do  the  thief  and  the  counterfeiter ;  so  do  con 
spirators  for  evil  ends. 

Secrecy,  whenever  resorted  to  for  evil  ends,  is 
wrong.  But  may  it  not  be  resorted  to  for  good 
ends?  and  is  it  not  recognized  as  often  wise  and 
right  in  the  Word  of  God?  We  answer  in  the 
affirmative.  There  is  a  certain  degree  of  reserve, 
or  secrecy,  that  should  invest  every  individual. 
Our  whole  range  of  thought  and  feeling  ought  not 
to  be  promiscuously  made  known.  There  is  a  'de 
gree  of  secrecy  necessary  in  the  order,  social  inter 
course,  and  discipline  of  the  family.  There  is  se 
crecy  needed  in  dealing  with  faults  and  sins.  Christ 
adopts  this  principle  in  his  discipline.  He  says, 
"  Tell  him  his  fault  between  him  and  thee  alone. 
If  he  repents,  conceal  it."  There  are  confidential 
communications  for  important  ends,  or  for  council. 

Concealment  may  be  used  as  a  defense  against 
enemies,  as  in  the  case  of  the  spies  of  Joshua,  or 
the  messengers  of  David,  or  when  Elisha  hid  him 
self  by  the  brook  Oherith,  by  God's  order.  So  God 
hides  the  good  in  his  secret  place  and  under  his 
wings. 

Secrecy  is  opposed  to  ostentation  and  love  of  hu 
man  applause.  Hence,  alms  and  prayer  are  to  be 
in  secret.  God  also  resorts  to  secrecy  in  an  emi- 


SECRET   SOCIETIES.  83 


nent  degree.  He  hides  himself.  He  dwells  in 
thick  darkness.  It  is  his  glory  to  conceal  his  de 
signs.  In  part,  this  is  inevitable  by  reason  of  his 
greatness ;  in  part,  he  resorts  to  it  of  set  purpose. 

It  is  a  special  honor  and  blessing  of  the  good 
that  he  discloses  his  secrets  to  them. 

Secrecy,  then,  is  not  of  necessity  wrong.  Its 
character  depends  upon  the  ends  for  which  it  is 
used,  and  the  circumstances  and  spirit  in  which  it 
is  used.  There  is  a  secrecy  of  wisdom,  love,  and 
justice,  as  well  as  a  secrecy  of  selfish,  malevolent, 
and  evil  deeds. 

II.  Secret  societies. 

Of  these  there  may  be  two  degrees. 

1.  Where  not  only  the  proceedings  of  the  society 
are  secret,  but  even  the  existence  of  such  a  society 
is  concealed. 

2.  Where  the  existence  is  avowed,  and  the  signs 
and  proceedings  only  are  secret. 

In  associations,  secrecy  may  be  resorted  to  in 
both  these  ways  for  evil  ends.  Men  may  combine 
in  associated  societies  to  prey  on  the  community, 
and  the  existence  of  such  societies  be  hidden. 
Counterfeiters,  horse-thieves,  burglars,  may  thus 
associate  for  wrong,  in  the  deepest  secrecy. 

So,  too,  secret  associations  whose  existence  is 
avowed  may  combine  for  selfish  ends,  and  in  dero- 


84  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


gation  of  the  common  rights  of  the  social  system. 
They  may  defend  their  members,  to  the  injury  of 
justice,  in  our  courts.  They  may  interfere  with 
the  management  of  churches  and  societies.  They 
may  bring  an  influence  of  intimidation  to  bear  on 
public  men.  They  may  disseminate  false  principles 
of  religion  and  morals.  They  may  co-operate  for 
political  ends,  and  to  effect  revolutions. 

And  yet  it  is  no  less  true  that,  in  certain  circum 
stances,  secret  societies  of  both  kinds  may  be  re 
sorted  to  for  good  ends. 

Secret  societies  may  be  rightfully  resorted  to  for 
common  council  and  united  action,  in  the  fear  of 
God  and  with  prayer,  in  a  very  dangerous  state  of 
the  body  politic,  to  resist  incumbent  evils,  and  the 
existence  of  such  societies  not  be  disclosed,  if  the 
state  of  the  case  would  thus  give  them  greater 
power  for  good.  So,  as  a  defense  against  known 
disloyal  secret  organizations,  secret  loyal  leagues 
were  rightfully  resorted  to  as  a  means  of  united 
and  concentrated  action  against  organized  disloy 
alty.  And  if,  in  resisting  moral  evils,  secrecy  gives 
power  and  advantage  in  devising  measures  to  resist 
vice  and  crime,  it  is  not  sinful  to  resort  to  it. 

All  boards  of  trust  generally  have  secret  sessions, 
and  legislative  bodies  resort  to  secret  sessions  right 
fully,  if  the  state  of  affairs  demands  it. 


SECRET    SOCIETIES.  85 


It  will  be  seen  that  secrecy  is  justified  and  de 
manded  by  peculiar  circumstances  or  obvious  ends 
to  be  gained.  The  reason  of  the  case,  therefore,  is 
against  secrecy,  and  in  favor  of  open  action,  where 
no  such  justification  can  be  made  out.  It  is  the 
nature  of  truth  and  right  to  be  open.  All  things 
tend  to  it.  There  is  nothing  covered  or  concealed 
that  shall  not  finally  be  proclaimed. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  secrecy  is  resorted  to  with 
out  reason ;  if  it  is  made  the  basis  of  false  pre 
tences  ;  if  it  assumes  the  existence  of  something 
that  is  not,  then  it  is  not  defensible.  If  it  involves 
a  profession  of  information  to  be  communicated,  and 
influences  for  good  to  be  exerted,  that  do  not  exist, 
then  it  is  a  species  of  intellectual  swindling  which 
admits  of  no  defense.  The  sciences  and  arts,  the 
Bible  and  nature,  are  open  to  all.  So  is  the  book 
of  history.  What  new  science,  or  art,  or  history,  or 
religion  is  there  for  secret  societies  to  disclose? 

III.  Religious  rites  or  worship  in  societies,  open 
or  secret — are  any  allowable?  and,  if  so,  what? 

In  order  to  answer  this  question,  we  need  to  con 
sider  certain  fundamental  and  vital  principles  of 
Christianity. 

1»  All  men,  as  depraved  and  guilty,  need  regen 
eration  and  pardon  through  the  intervention  of 
Christ. 


SECRET   SOCIETIES. 


2.  There  is  access  to  the  true  God  only  through 
Christ :    "I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life. 
No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  through  me." 

3.  "  Whosoever  denieth  the  Son,  the  same  hath 
not  the  Father ;  but  he  that  acknowledgeth  the  Son 
hath  the  Father  also." 

All  Christian  churches  are  based  on  these  truths, 
and  the  center  and  culmination  of  their  worship  is 
this  recognition  of  Christ  in  the  Sacrament  as  the 
Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world.  Christ,  too,  is  the  center  of  the  worship 
of  heaven. 

Hence,  if  Christians  associate  with  others  in  wor 
ship,  it  can  rightly  be  only  on  the  ground  that  the 
worship  centers  in  Christ,  and  acknowledges  him  as 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  the  Father. 

Hence,  if,  for  the  sake  of  extending  an  organization, 
men  are  admitted  of  all  religions — Pagans,  Moham 
medans,  Deists,  Jews — and  if,  for  the  sake  of  accom 
modating  them  with  a  common  ground  of  union, 
Christ  is  ignored,  and  the  God  of  nature  or  of  crea 
tion  is  professedly  worshiped,  and  morality  incul 
cated  solely  on  natural  grounds,  then  such  worship 
is  not  accepted  by  the  real  God  and  Father  of  the  uni 
verse,  for  he  looks  on  it  as  involving  the  rejection 
and  dishonor,  nay,  the  renewed  crucifixion  of  his 
Son.  As  to  Christ,  he  tolerates  no  neutrality.  He 


SECRET   SOCIETIES.  87 


who  is  not  for  him  is  against  him.  These  princi 
ples  do  not  involve  the  question  of  secrecy.  They 
hold  true  of  all  societies,  open  or  secret. 

If,  on  such  anti-Christian  grounds,  prayers  are 
framed,  rites  established,  and  chaplains  appointed, 
ignoring  Christ  and  his  intercession,  God  regards  it 
as  a  mockery  and  an  insult  to  himself  and  his 
church.  In  it  is  revealed  the  hatred  of  Satan  to 
Christ.  By  it  Christ  is  dethroned  and  Satan  ex 
alted. 

These  principles  do  not  exclude  worship  and 
prayer  from  societies.  In  any  societies,  true  wor 
ship  in  the  name  of  Christ  will  be  accepted. 

Let  us  now  apply  these  principles  to  the  societies 
of  Free  Masonry,  the  modern  mother  of  secret  so 
cieties.  Concerning  these  we  hold  it  to  be  plain : 

That  they  have  neither  science  nor  art  to  impart 
as  a  reward  of  membership.  The  time  was  when 
there  was  a  society,  or  societies,  of  working  masons, 
coming  down  from  the  old  Roman  empire,  and  ex 
tending  through  the  middle  ages.  These  were  socie 
ties  of  great  power,  and  wrought  great  works.  The 
cathedrals  of  the  middle  ages  were  each  erected  by 
such  a  corporation,  and  attest  their  skill  and  energy. 

But  these  corporations  of  working  masons  have 
passed  away,  and  Masonry  is  now,  even  in  profes 
sion,  only  theoretical,  and  in  fact,  so  far  as  this  art 


88  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


is  concerned,  is  not  even  this.  It  does  not  teach 
the  theory  of  architecture.  The  transition  took 
place  in  1717,  after  a  period  of  decline  in  the 
lodges  of  working  masons.  All  pretences  to  a  his 
tory  back  of  this,  or  to  any  connection  with  Solo 
mon  or  Hiram,  are  mere  false  pretences  and  delu 
sion  for  effect.  No  art  is  taught  and  no  science  is 
communicated  by  the  system. 

Practical  ends,  then,  alone  remain;  and,  in  fact, 
the  founders  of  the  system  avowed  "  brotherly  love, 
relief,  and  truth  "  as  these  ends.  The  cultivation 
of  social  intercourse  is  also  avowed  as  an  end  by 
defenders  of  the  system.  But  such  ends  as  these 
furnish  no  good  reasons  for  secrecy ;  nor  is  secrecy 
favorable  to  a  wise  and  economical  use  of  the  in 
come  of  such  bodies  for  purposes  of  benevolence. 
An  open  and  public  acknowledgment  of  receipts 
and  expenditures  is  needed  as  a  safeguard  against 
a  dishonest  and  wasteful  expenditure  of  funds. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  secrecy  of  the  order,  taken 
in  connection  with  the  principle  of  hierarchal  con 
centration,  and  with  the  administration  of  extra- 
judicial  oaths  of  obedience  and  secrecy,  renders  it, 
as  a  system,  liable  to  great  abuses  in  the  perver 
sion  of  justice,  in  the  overriding  of  national  law, 
and  the  claims  of  patriotism. 

But  the  most  serious  yiew  of  the  case  lies  in  the 


SECRET    SOCIETIES.  89 


fact  that  it  professes  to  rest  on  a  religious  basis, 
and  to  have  religious  temples,  yet  is  avowedly  based 
on  a  platform  that  ignores  Christ  and  Christianity 
as  supreme  and  essential  to  true  allegiance  to  the 
real  God  of  the  universe.  Its  worship,  therefore, 
taken  as  a  system,  is  in  rivalry  to  and  in  derogation 
of  Christ  and  Christianity. 

And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  this  and  similar  systems 
are  by  many  regarded  as  a  substitute  for  the  church, 
or  as  superior  to  it.  Moreover,  devotion  to  them 
absorbs  time  and  interest  due  to  the  church,  and 
paralyzes  Christians  by  association  with  worldly 
men,  and  by  the  malignant  power  of  the  spirit  of 
the  world. 

This  system,  and  those  who  imitate  its  hierarchal 
and  centralizing  organization,  also  give  power  to 
those  hierarchal  principles  and  systems  against 
which  Congregationalism  has  ever  protested  as  cor 
rupting  and  enslaving  the  church. 

The  system  also  cultivates  a  love  of  swelling 
titles,  and  of  gaudy  decorations  and  display  in 
dress,  that  are  hostile  to  the  genius  of  our  Consti 
tution,  and  to  true  republican  and  Christian  dignity 
and  simplicity. 

From  this  system  other  organizations  have  bor 
rowed  much,  and  some  do  not  essentially  differ 
from  it  in  practical  working. 


90  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 


Other  organizations,  however,  for  the  ends  of 
temperance  reform,  have  adopted  modes  of  organ 
ization,  display  in  dress,  and  secret  signs  for  the 
purposes  of  recognition  and  defense.  The  ends  and 
proceedings  of  these  temperance  societies  are  so 
well  known  that  it  is  often  denied  that  they  are 
secret  societies ;  yet  they  do,  avowedly  for  pur 
poses  of  defense,  resort  to  secrecy,  and  have  imi 
tated  modes  of  dress  and  organization  found  in 
Masonry.  And  members  of  Masonic  lodges  declare 
that  they  involve,  in  fact,  all  the  principles  of 
Masonic  organizations,  and  rely  on  them  ultimately 
leading  to  their  own  order. 

While  we  recognize  the  true  devotion  of  the 
members  of  these  societies  to  the  cause  of  temper 
ance,  and  acknowledge  and  commend  their  active 
efforts  to  resist  the  progress  of  one  of  the  greatest 
evils  of  the  age,  we  yet  can  not  concede  the  wisdom 
or  desirableness  of  a  resort  to  principles  and  modes 
of  action  which  tend  to  create  a  current  toward 
other  secret  organizations  not  aiming  at  £jieir  ends, 
nor  actuated  by  their  spirit  of  temperance  reform. 

In  conclusion,  we  respectfully  present  the  Asso 
ciation  the  following  principles  foradoption: 

Resolved,  1.  That  in  dealing  with  secret  organ 
izations,  this  Association  recognizes  the  need  of  a 


SECRET    SOCIETIES.  91 


careful  statement  of  principles  and  a  wise  discrim 
ination  of  things  that  differ. 

2.  That  there  are  some  legitimate  concealments 
of  an  organized  character — such  as  the  privacies  of 
the  family  and  business  firms,  the  temporary  con- 
concealment  of  public  negotiations  at  critical  stages, 
the  occasional  withdrawal  of  scandals  which  could 
only  disturb  and  demoralize  communities,  and  the 
secrecy  of  military  combinations;  nor  are  we  pre 
pared   totally    to    condemn    all   private    plans    and 
arrangements  between  good    and    true   citizens,   in 
great  emergencies,  to  resist  the  machinations  of  the 
wicked. 

3.  That  organizations  whose   whole   object    and 
general  method  are  well  understood,  and  are  known 
to  be  laudable  and  moral — such  as  associations  for 
purely  literary  or  reformatory  purposes — are  not  to 
be  sweepingly  condemned  by  reason  of  a  thin  veil 
of  secrecy  covering  their  precise  methods  of  pro 
cedure  ;  yet  we  deem  that  outer  veil  of  secrecy  to 
be  unwise  and  undesirable,  inasmuch  as  it  holds  out 
needless  temptations  to  deeds  of  darkness,  and  gives 
unnecessary  countenance  to  other  and  unlawful  com 
binations  ;   and,  whenever  the   act   of  membership 
involves  an  unconditional  oath  or  promise  of  sub 
mission,  adhesion,  and  concealment,  under  all  cir- 
cumstnces,  that  compact  is  a  grave  moral  wrong. 


92  SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

4.  That  there  are  certain  other  wide-spread  or 
ganizations — such  as  Freemasonry — which,  we  sup 
pose,  are  in  their  nature  hostile  to  good  citizenship 
and  true  religion,  because  they  exact  initiatory 
oaths  of  blind  compliance  and  concealment  incom 
patible  with  the  claims  of  equal  justice  toward  man 
and  a  good  conscience  toward  Grod ;  because  they 
may  easily,  and  sometimes  have  actually,  become 
combinations  against  the  due  process  of  law  and  gov 
ernment;  because,  while  claiming  a  religious  char 
acter,  they,  in  their  rituals,  deliberately  withhold 
all  recognition  of  Christ  as  their  only  Savior,  and 
of  Christianity  as  the  only  true  religion ;  because, 
while  they  are,  in  fact,  nothing  but  restricted  part 
nerships  or  companies  for  mutual  insurance  and 
protection,  they  ostentatiously  parade  this  charac 
terless  engagement  as  a  substitute  for  brotherly  love 
and  true  benevolence ;  because  they  bring  good  men 
in  confidential  relations  to  bad  men;  and  because, 
while  in  theory,  they  supplant  the  church  of  Christ, 
they  do  also,  in  fact,  largely  tend  to  withdraw  the 
sympathy  and  active  zeal  of  professing  Christians 
from  their  respective  churches.  Against  all  con 
nections  with  such  associations  we  earnestly  advise 
the  members  of  our  churches,  and  exhort  them, 
"  Be  ye  not  unequally  yoked  together  with  unbe 
lievers." 


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